Chaos Fantasy Chronicle
by Blidnga
Summary: A demon hunter from a world of steam is chasing his most dangerous target when he suddenly finds his pursuit taking a strange turn. A world of monsters and magic known as Gensokyo has taken in this very dangerous witch, and now he has no choice but to follow her there in order to stop her before she gets away with whatever twisted plan she has. Can he survive this foreign world?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Touhou belongs to ZUN. I do not own anything.

I have never stolen from anyone else here or anywhere else on the internet. Any similarities are purely coincidence. I apologize for any similarities

I apologize if this work offends anyone at any point. No harm is intended by this writing.

Enjoy.

* * *

**A storm tonight? It's just a shadow of what will come.**

* * *

A clash of thunder. Another boom from the deafening storm.

_A dangerous storm tonight… I should hurry._

I quicken my pace towards the distant tower ahead. An old ruined spire squatting in the middle of this godforsaken forest. There is no one here but me.

No one alive that is.

I can hear the minions of the Nightcaster stalking me. Slow predatory movements among the thick trees. However, they have yet to strike at me. I do not know the undead minions of the Nightcaster to have patience in strategy. They are being controlled, guiding me forward towards the tower. Blocking my retreat.

I do not wish to run, nor do I wish an encounter with this witch's minions now. I have no problems following the Nightcaster's plan tonight.

_Nightcaster… hm. I still feel strange calling her that…_

If anyone knew Charity Carpathia when she was still a normal girl, if anyone knew her when she was still an ordinary human, then they would not think her of wanting of the title of Nightcaster. She was a young girl studying practical science before all this. Quiet, shy, and a brilliant fellow student.

But that was six years ago. No one would doubt her power as a sorceress now. Ever since she discovered the dark arts and started attacking towns and cities with her nightmare creatures she has been a named to be feared. She's killed many, and people tremble at the thought of her magic. She's a worldwide menace, and everyone knows it.

People know magic exists, but it's restricted by law. The Nightcaster though? She didn't care. The cities can't do anything to stop her anyways. Mech weapons and other scientific medium are powerless against her. I'm the only one who can stop her.

But this isn't about laws or power. This is about her destroying people's lives and me going to put a stop to her.

_Nightcaster… She even changed her name to some ridiculous title… Her choice is clear, and so is mine._

_Not that I had a choice to begin with._

Six years ago I eagerly studied practical science and steam engines alongside my senior student Charity. Then my father passed away, and all that ended. I inherited his legacy. His curse.

The legacy as a Slayer, one who is forced by a cursed magic blood to wander the world ridding it of creatures that do not belong here; killing demons, witches, and undead anywhere I can find them. It's been my family's curse for many generations, and now it's fallen to me. I had no choice but to hunt, or be denied the afterlife for failing my divine duties.

I soon got the hang of things, and started to become more proficient at finding and slaying evil creatures in their hiding places around the world. I was surprised to one day cross a mysterious Nightcaster, only to find it to be my former colleague.

Nightcaster Charity Carpathia. A magician, a necromancer, and a destroyer. Facing her is me, Joseph Mateba the Slayer, an ordinary human with a curse on his shoulders and a weapon in his hands.

The two of us have been at odds for almost two years now, with me chasing her down and her stopping me again and again. I keep her on the run, but she's always playfully out of my reach.

But that ends tonight.

_Tonight… this ends. Tonight, you aren't getting away from me anymore Nightcaster…. Charity…_

The Nightcaster is in this old tower. She's fled here, thinking it a sanctuary from me. I almost wonder if she's forgotten that we've been at this for two years now. I know all her tricks. Tracking her down was easy part.

Now comes the hard part.

Donning my traveling clothes and armed with a mech-pistol and this great knife in my hand, I head towards the Nightcaster's lair. Some may think me underprepared for such an undertaking, but my Slayer blood gives me an edge no one else has. It acts on me when I need it most, giving me either sense or strength when active.

I approach the old rickety door of the tower in front of me. It reaches up several stories high, towering over the trees in the forest.

_She's in here, I know it._

I begin to reach for the door when, my sense kicks on; sending a chill down my spine.

Thinking about it, it's really not as spectacular as I had originally thought a Slayer's power would be. Merely, it's a sixth sense for danger. A little prick on the back of my neck that tells me something bad is going to happen to me. I'm getting one of those pricks from this door right now.

_Trapped I bet. The Nightcaster is fond of preying on the careless. I will have to disappoint this time._

I size up the door for a moment before stepping to the side of it. Leaning on the wall next to the door, I reach over and gently turn the knob on the door. The door slowly slides open.

Fire erupts out the threshold like an inferno. The flames go screaming out into the rain before reaching their limits and quieting. A magical trap, thankfully avoided.

The flames roar past me for a few seconds before they stop.

_Close… good thing I caught that, or this attack would have been very short._

I step around to in front of the door again and peer into the interior. There is nothing but some rubble and a spiral staircase in here.

_No one there. Let's get out of this rain._

As I step into the interior of the tower I hear a voice echo from above; it's coming from nothing.

"Joseph! There you are! I've been waiting for you actually. Come on in, I'm at the top. I want to have a little chitty-chat with you. Hurry up now!" Exclaims a cheery voice.

Charity's voice is full of energy. She's always talked to me in this young girlish tone ever since we met as enemies. She jokes, teases, flirts, and laughs as if we were young friends. Her power over magic and her self-proclaimed title of Nightcaster has given her an unprecedented confidence.

Yet her voice hides a poison. She has no benevolent intentions for me tonight. She means the exact opposite of what she says. Her cute demeanor may fool the unwary, but I know what she's capable of.

I know she needs to be stopped… by any means.

I clutch the knife in my hands tighter and begin my climb up to the top of the tower where the Nightcaster resides now.

* * *

With one last sip, I finish drinking the rest of my tea. It's a beautiful late autumn evening here. The warm tea is even better against the cool of the coming evening.

A lovely late afternoon in Gensokyo.

_Chen's tea is always the best. I can't help but wonder if she does this just for me, or if she's really gotten this good at tea making. If the latter then perhaps I might be working Chen a little too hard on mundane things. She's getting older though. Maybe tea and chores are below her now. Perhaps it is time I should… no, not yet. She's nowhere near ready, both Master and I agree on that._

"Master Ran! Raaan!"

Chen's voice is immediately followed by a pounce from behind. Chen crawls over my tails and hops onto my shoulders like a child climbing on a toy.

Sweet as always, she chimes into my ear. "Ran. I did all of my chores today! Can we play? Please please please?"

I can't help but smile. "Why of course Ch-"

Immediately, there is a change in the air. I tense up as I feel a faint shock. A disruption. A shifting of magic in the air that only I can see.

"Nyu? What's wrong?"

I say nothing. I'm not sure, and I don't want to worry Chen with work she doesn't understand yet.

_What was that? Such a profound change could only be caused by the border itself. Something is wrong. Very wrong. A change on that scale could easily be a hole or a crack. This could be bad. I-_

"Is something wrong, my dear?"

_Ah! Master Yukari!_

I quickly spin around and stand at attention in front of Master Yukari's presence. Chen slides off my back in the process and stands at attention beside me.

I quickly bow to my master. "Master, I…"

I trail off. Yukari has a look on her face that I recognize. A smile and a gleam that hints at some plan of hers. As the master of the borders of Gensokyo, she surely would have felt such a tremor right away. She knows about the shift that just occurred, and that look tells me she knows just what it is.

_This is not going to end well for Gensokyo._

Yukari suppresses a chuckle. "What was it you wanted to say Ran dear?"

I hesitate for a moment, I know better than to question my master's plan.

"I… just wanted to tell you… how amazing Chen's tea is. Yes…" I lie.

Chen jumps back a bit from me.

"Huh? U-um… thank you Master. Ehehe…" She says with a blush.

Yukari giggles. "Oh? Why, some tea would be delicious. Chen dear, could you make me a drink of your 'amazing' tea?"

"Right away!" Chen enthusiastically says as she zips past Master and into the house.

I take one last glance at Master Yukari. Again, she has this scheming look that I am familiar with.

_Master… you're planning something big aren't you? Just what are you doing with the border?_

Again, knowing better than to ask questions, I turn back around watch the setting sun; listening to the aftershocks of the change that just occurred in the Hakurei Border.

* * *

It takes me just a few minutes to reach the top of the tower here. As I draw near the door leading to the highest chamber, I get another itch that tells me danger is ahead.

The Nightcaster is in here of course. I've crossed her more than once, and I know all too well how skilled she is with her magic. The danger warning is well placed. She's gotten the better of me more than once.

But I'm not losing this time. There are no windows, and I'm coming from the only way out. She cannot run anymore. She's cornered herself, and I'm going to make sure she never bothers the world again.

_Time to end this._

With a grunt, I kick open the door into the final room. There is no ruin debris or junk in here. In here is an intricate spell drawn on the floor; runes and symbols forming a circle.

And on the far end is the Nightcaster, her still young face beaming at me. To me, she still looks as pretty and innocent the day we first crossed each other when she was just twenty or so; save for the dark magician garb.

She's dressed in her favorite black silk shroud. Baggy and flowing on her arm and legs to give her a grander appearance, but tied tight on her chest and waist to emphasize her well-developed figure. She has a bright red sash and cuffs, along with a shining gold circle amulet resting on her chest. Her cloak strays from a traditional mage style by forgoing a hood, revealing her bronze colored hair and corrupted red eyes.

She likes to show herself like this, combining beauty and power to command respect. Her pride in self-image is a point of endless annoyance for me. At least coming from someone who doesn't care about looks.

Yet I notice something very alarming, other than the large spell in the middle of the room.

She has a new feature. Her left arm sleeve is cut off completely now, revealing her slender arm covered in burning crimson runes all the way down to her fingertips and up to her shoulder. These runes have been growing on her ever since she's learned how to channel magic. It's some kind of symbol of dark power I don't understand.

They have spread much more than I remember though, and it's now started on her left hand too. She's gained a huge power increase since our last encounter. Her mastery over magic knows no limits it seems.

I take a step into the room. The Nightcaster continues to smile at me. I expect some kind of trap, some wicked game she wants to play, some monster of hers hiding around the corner of this door.

Yet, there is nothing. She's just… happy.

I tighten my grip on the blade in my hands.

"Nightcaster…" I growl in a low voice.

She halfway skips towards me. "Jooooseph! I have a surprise for you today!"

I remain silent. Nothing I say is going to help her and her crazy thoughts. I keep walking towards her.

She crosses her arms and pouts. "Aww, what's with that look? Not happy to see your beloved Nightcaster? Maybe I'm doing this wrong then? I guess I didn't introduce myself in my usual fashion. How about… Fire Fountain!"

Her arm and eyes glow brightly. Aiming a hand at me, she sends forth a plume of roaring flames through the air and in my direction.

I throw myself sideways and tumble away from the spears of fire. They roar past me, hitting me with intense killer heat as they do. I stay strong and endure as the spell finishes. Even though I dodged, I find myself choking and coughing from the immense ferocity of the fires.

Any ordinary person would have melted by just being in the same room as this spell. But my Slayer strength, the strength of will it gives me, lets me survive pains that would otherwise kill. It's not immunity to her, but I can withstand her power. Barely.

I quickly jump back to my feet though. The Nightcaster is smiling at me again.

She claps her hands together. "Ah, that felt much better! And that look on your face tells me you agree. Butbutbut! Hold on just a minute Joseph, don't speak, I'm not here to play games anymore. I wanted to give you a little surprise this time."

She takes a deep breath and cheers aloud. "I'm leaving!"

_What? No, does she have an escape route already planned? Damn! I need to finish this before she flees again!_

She raises a hand. "Wait now Joseph, I'm not going anywhere here. I mean I'm going away! I've found another plane of existence! One where I can get all the dark magic and demonic power I want. See, I'll be out of your hair! Isn't that great? Isn't it? I'll admit, I'll be sad leave you; you were my favorite little nemesis. But you'll be free to go back to whatever stupid things you normal people do! Isn't it just fantastic?"

I'm not sure whether or not to believe her. This spell is easily large enough for a person. She seems genuine, although seeming to be isn't much for her on my account. An entire alternate world cannot possibly exist, can it?

Still unsure of what to think, I question. "Where are you going? What do you plan to do?"

Usually, she is resistant to explaining her plans to her enemy, but it seems I am not her enemy anymore, as she gladly explains everything in detail. She starts by holding pulling out a large rugged magic stone, blue in color and just large enough to fill her small hand.

She examines the stone as she talks. "See, this little rock? It's just a magic boosting stone I whipped up, nothing special, but with it I've reached out and contacted a mystical goddess of a far off realm. The goddess calls herself Yukari Yakumo, and she's agreed to take me off this piece-of-crap world and into hers. She lives in a world where magicians are free and demons live with humans. Well, it's just a little slice of the whole world I hear, but still. I'll be in a new home where I can become as powerful as I want. Doesn't that sound like paradise?"

_A world of demons? Another plane of reality? She wants to live there? No… She always has an ulterior motive. If this other place really does exist, then she's going there because she wants something._

"And what do you plan to do when you get there?" I ask again.

She places an engraved finger over her lips. "Ah, secret secret Joseph! You know better than to ask for spoilers."

_I knew it! She's not going there for a peaceful life. She wants to go there for more power; power she can't get here. I bet it's this Yukari that gave her all that extra magic she has, and she'll probably show her where to get more. She could very well be going there to open up a portal to this world of demons and use them to rule this world, or the rest of that one. _

_I don't know for sure, but she's too dangerous either way. Even if she intends to leave this world I cannot give up. I would never wish the curse of her onto any realm. I need to stop her from leaving._

My danger sense shoots up. Something's coming.

Suddenly the symbols in the middle of the room begin to glow brightly. With a loud roar, the spell activates. A hole in the center of the circle appears, as if the very fabric of reality was tearing. A thousand piercing yellow eyes drift around in an endless dark abyss from the tear in the floor.

This other world does exist. I can hardly believe it.

The Nightcaster turns to the portal and gives a wave to me. "Well, she's here! This is my ride off this place. Goodbye steam industry and magic oppression, hello youkai and fantasy!"

She begins to walk to the gap in the floor.

_She's going through… I could just let her go. I've chased her for long enough. Two years is a good chunk of life. I still have plenty of work to spare…_

I take a step back. _But… I have a job, and I can't fail it. She's corrupted beyond reason, and not even this other world deserves to deal with whatever she has planned. No matter what realm of reality it is, I have a job to protect those from dark powers such as hers. My curse won't allow me to back down, I know it. I'll hunt for you as I always have. To the ends of this earth… and the next one!_

I take another step back and break into a hard sprint across the room. The Nightcaster, focused on the growing portal, doesn't see my charge.

I fly into her, tackling her into the portal. The two of us fall in and fight as we slip into the dark space of the portal's world.

"Ah! What are you doing you idiot? You'll throw me off course! Let go!" She screams.

I don't. "No. You aren't getting away from me. I can't forgive you, and not just because I'm a Slayer. You're a murderer and a criminal. I will follow you wherever you go until you're dead. You want to go to another world? Then I'll follow you to this one too!"

She glares at me for a second before slamming me with her enchanted arm. The runes are surprisingly painful, and strong. I go flying off into the endless space.

She twirls around to look at me as we fall through the eyes and nothingness. "Fine then. I'll let you follow. You're only going to die here. You'll only delay me, just as you always have. See you on the other side… Slayer."

I struggle to gain balance like her, and fail to do so at all. "Grr… Nnngh… I'll catch you eventually Nightcaster!"

The two of us continue to drift apart. We fall away from each other, and soon lose sight of each other altogether. She continues on to her destination, I fall through to some unknown place.

A world of demons lies ahead. As a Slayer, I can only imagine the madness I'm going to find down there.

I keep falling. It seems I have a long way to go this way… wherever this way is. With nothing to do, I simply free-fall through this nothingness. I'll arrive eventually, I'm sure.

_Where is this anyways? Where am I going? What am I going to find here? I know I have to stop her before she gets too powerful, but how am I going to find her? Am I going to survive at all?_

I take a quiet sigh. _No choice but to find out now. I hope I didn't make a mistake…_

* * *

Ran and Chen take a seat on the far end of the room, playing some card game that Chen always loves at the table.

I sit on a chair on this end of the room with a pair of gaps open in front of me. Through it, I view two individuals.

The right displays what I'd expected to see. This girl, Charity Carpathia. She calls herself Nightcaster, perhaps rightfully so. Her magic potential is far greater than an ordinary magician's. She could surpass every preconceived limit there is. I'm eager to see how far she is will go once she acquires more from the vast well of magic that is Gensokyo.

Three weeks ago she contacted me, reaching through the borders of our worlds all the way here. It was only a chance that I heard her, but I did hear, so I listened. She claims to wish for peaceful sanctuary from a youkai exterminator that is dogging her. I cannot possibly see why anyone would want to exterminate her though. I've never seen such a well behaved magician before. Such a sweet and enthusiastic young woman should do well in Gensokyo. She even went to flatter me, calling me goddess.

_Hmhmhm… This will certainly be an entertaining experiment. She's not just an outsider, but someone from another world entirely. A girl from a world run by an endless mechanical steam industry. A world that has an endless potential for magic, yet fears it so greatly. She should fit right in here; away from that oppression._

I shift my gaze to the second gap. A young brown-haired green-eyed man in a dusty jacket and worn out clothes.

_But this is a problem. This hunter has followed her. It seems he intends to chase his quarry until he puts a stop to her. Bothersome human. You should have stayed in your world of machines and petty magic and left this poor girl alone._

I sigh. _Yet… he has a magic in him too, more than he realizes. He could be a danger to dear Charity. He could become a serious power in Gensokyo if he learns how to use them._

I shake my head and banish these wild thoughts. _No. He won't. His powers are strange, but mostly dormant. He is a youkai hunter. He will not fit in here. It will not be long before he ends up in some random place and meets an unfortunate end at the hands of a youkai. His gun and knowledge of machines will not save him. He still went through the same border manipulations as her, which means he still stands a chance of understanding and making friends, but he is an exterminator so that isn't likely. The poor fool has sealed his fate. He will die; it is only a matter of time._

_Well… at least I will not be worrying about him._

With a blink, I reestablish the boundary between me and him and seal the gap. My sight of him vanishes, and I focus on guiding the young Nightcaster to me. Whilst doing so, I look towards my Shikigami.

"Ran? Chen? Have you prepared dinner as of now?" I call over to them.

Ran sets her cards down and stands at attention. "No Master. Would you like to eat now?"

I nod. "Yes. Prepare for four tonight. We are having a guest."

* * *

I fall for another couple of minutes. I'm beginning to think myself doomed to this strange dimensional space.

But then, a light begins to soar towards me. On the other side I see the sun and grass. A way out.

_Come on… fly!_

I can't control my trajectory, but with a twist and a reach I grab onto the hole. My body seems to weigh nothing, and I have no problems pulling myself through.

I hoist myself out of the hole and onto solid ground, and it vanishes behind me. Wet and cool grass clings to me as I crawl out.

_Made it._

I take a deep breath and push myself up onto my feet. I check my belongings: pistol, knife, ammo, bandages, canteen, stone.

_This stone…_

In my hand is the magic stone the Nightcaster was wielding, halfway clenched in my hand where I accidentally grabbed it from her. She claimed it to amplify one's magic. She made this with her own black powers.

I scowl at the rock. _Wicked artifact. I should dispose of this._

I raise my arm to throw it, but stop. _Wait… I am not in the same world any more. I should watch my actions. I am in a world of demons… and I'm a demon slayer. I need to be careful here. Humans are not the majority anymore._

I lower my arm and examine the stone once more. _I… may actually need this. Hopefully I will have no use for it, and I can just keep it as a status symbol or some disguise.  
_

I slide the blue glowing stone into my pants pocket and dismiss the rest of the matter.

_Now… where am I?_

I look around. I'm near the edge of a forest. There are some hills in the distance, a forest behind me and a mountain beyond that, and empty fields to my left. To my right, it gets a little more mountainous and difficult, but to my left is a tall hill with some flowers atop it.

_This place. This isn't the earth I know. I… really went to another world._

I look up at the darkened sky.

_I suppose I don't have any regrets really. I kind of acted too fast to regret. I know no one will miss me, but I've lived in that world forever. Will I go ever go back? Will I… no no, focus Joseph you're better than this. You've been in strange places before, this one's just bigger. I need to get to work. Everything else is aftermath; I can deal with that when I'm done._

I look around again.

_Ok… there is a hill there. I think I could get a better view up there, and I don't think climbing mountains is going to be any better._

I gather my wits and head off, taking my first few steps in this world. It seems surprisingly peaceful, but I know better than to trust appearances. This place is a place for demons, youkai I think she called them, and their like. I'm a lone human in a world of magic and evil.

Yet I will have to survive. I will have to do my best to find and kill the Nightcaster before she can enact what plan she has.

_Well, off we go. It looks like the time here is different. The sun is just going down now, so I have all night to contemplate what to do and where I want to head when the sun rises._

I quicken my pace and begin working my way up this grassy hill to the flowers on top. From here, I'll get a sense of direction…

And begin my journey through this unknown world.

* * *

A/N

Alright, here we go! New story!

Thank you for reading my first chapter of this story. I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm a fan of the OC protagonist/antagonist struggle theme in Touhou fan works, but rather than just have an ordinary outsider I wanted to try someone from another world entirely. Joseph Mateba is a demon hunter from a steampunk world. He's a soft-spoken guy with a strong sense of duty (if somewhat reluctant at times) as a legendary Slayer. I don't go too much into his personality just yet, as it is only chapter 1, but we'll see more about him and a few bits from his world to establish some backstory as the tale goes on. Of course, this is a Touhou fanfic so neither of these focuses is going to take away from our beloved youkai characters in the story and how they interact with him.

And then I have an OC villain, Charity the Nightcaster. Yukari brings her to Gensokyo because she thinks she belongs there, and she doesn't want to leave her in the machine world. I wanted to depict her as someone who reasonably would fit in the crazy that is Gensokyo so this logic would make sense. I tried giving her an unusual name (A dark rogue mage named 'Charity') a quirky personality and an awesome ability (kind of vague on that as of yet, but you'll see). I haven't quite established her as evil villain material yet, but I think I set a good stage.

Anyways, this is just my introduction, but I hope I got some interest here. I tried to make this unique by having multiple perspectives in the introduction here (although that will be rarer as time goes on). I fear I may have been a little confusing here and there trying to add tidbits of Joseph's background early on, but I think I did ok overall. Of course, I'd appreciate any reviews to let me know what you think.

Anyways, that's it. Next chapter will be up soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Your poison is my paradise. Won't you play with me in paradise?  
**

* * *

Shadows descend as night falls. The temperature drops and a haunting chill sets in. The dim light of the moon peeking through the clouds is the only illumination out in this wilderness.

I can't help but feel a little bothered as to how quiet it is. There are no machines here, no city lights in the distance. It's just this empty field and this hill over here. Nothing more.

_This place… just what is this place? This can't possibly be a world of demons that she was talking about can it?_

I shake my head and continue up this hill. _No reason to worry yet. I don't even know where I am. Hopefully I can spot a landmark or a person up here soon._

I reach the hill and begin to walk up it. Its height isn't spectacular, but it's certainly better than where I was.

I turn around on this slope and look behind me. _Ah, much better view. Although… it doesn't tell me too much more. It's just a field around here, and mountains and forests over there. Maybe I should walk around to the other side and see everything I can see. The moon is good enough, so maybe I can find something._

I turn back and continue to walk up until I near the top. The top quickly smooths off and becomes more flowery. Near the very center of the top is a dense flower field.

_Flowers… it's been a few months since I've seen flowers. Never this many before though. Rare._

Curious and slightly entranced, I walk towards the center. I'm about to walk through the flower patch when I suddenly stop. A warning chill hints at danger. Instead of walking through, I crouch down and peer at the flowers.

I recognize them. They're lilies of the valley. Poisonous.

I sigh. _Dang. I finally see some real flowers again and it's these stupid poison lilies. I was hoping for a soft place to sleep tonight, but I guess it's not here. I'd best not walk through. Wading through that many would make me sick. I'm surprised I would see the same flowers here though. I wonder if there are any other similarities between this world and mine._

I stand up and begin to walk around the flowers. _Well, I don't need to go through that anyways. I'll just walk around and view the world until I figure out where to go._

I begin to walk around when I suddenly hear something. Something sounding like a voice. Something sounding like a laugh.

I quickly spin back to the flower fields. I am shocked to find a person.

_A girl? Who?_

It's a young girl, only a child. Blonde with a red ribbon and wearing a black and red dress outfit. A puffy bow on her back stands out against all her dark colors by being pink.

She's merrily spinning around and dancing in the flowers, completely unaware about their dangerous nature.

_I hope she realizes-_

At that moment she reaches over and picks a little berry from a ripe flower and pops it into her mouth. She smiles and giggles as she savors the taste.

_What? No! Those are poisonous!_

Instinctively I shout a warning to the girl. "Hey! What are you doing? That's dangerous!"

She stops and looks over at me, cocking her head sideways in curiosity. I note her eyes are an odd shade of blue. I've never seen someone with such brilliant, almost glowing, eyes.

Immediately, I get another severe warning.

This girl is not human.

She begins to joyously skip to me. I tense up and take a step away.

_Damn it. What have I done? I should have ignored her! What was I thinking? This girl is probably some demon with a guise of innocence to lure fools like me into the poison. Ugh, how could I be so careless?_

She nears me at the edge of the flowers, smiling brightly.

Before anything is even said, she thrusts a hand out to me. She has a bundle of the lily's berries.

"Want some?" She asks with a smile.

I notice her hands are not like a person's hands. The joints are distinctly segmented, with each of her fingers being individual pieces on revolving hinges. Her arms are the same; joints and blocks of an artificial, yet soft material.

_Automaton. A constructed being of some sort. Yet this is unlike anything I've seen. She could pass for human. This is… amazing._

She speaks a little louder, thinking I did not hear. "Want some berries?"

I step away from her. "Fruit of the lily of the valley is poison. Are you feeling ok? How long have you been eating those?"

She shrugs. "Dunno. I do it all the time. I feel fine. You should really try it they're-"

"No… no thank you." I quickly reply.

She shrugs again. "Suit yourself."

With that, she gobbles the small cluster of berries.

_This girl is not human. She could not possibly withstand eating these berries on a regular basis if she was._

I then notice something stranger still. Something in the air next to her. It looks like a little toy doll with wings, but it seems to be moving on its own accord. It's dressed just like her. As my eyes set on it, it waves hello at me.

_Some kind of familiar? This is definitely not good. Her power must be immense to command her own familiar. There is no telling what she is capable of. I need to get out of here, now._

The girl steps a little closer to me as I slowly retreat. "Hey, where you… wait… are you human? Humans run, and you're running. You're human aren't you? Are you? You are! Stupid human!"

_Not good. She does not seem to care for me. Should I run? Convince her otherwise? Fight back?_

Too confused to act, I hesitate. "Err… Um… I… it's just…"

The girl looks angry while she continues to talk to me. "You human scum! I can't stand you! I hope you choke and die! In fact, I'll see to that right now!"

_Looks like I just chose fight back._

Then, the strangest thing happens. She begins to hover. Floating just a few feet off the ground. Her increased elevation gives her a more intimidating appearance.

The air around her begins to hum. An unnatural power drifts around her like a strange black mist. She has magic alright, and she's not afraid to use it.

Yet I do not fear her. I've seen worse horrors. The Nightcaster's minions are the most hideous undead abominations, and my travels have put me against disgusting sub-human parasites before that. This girl, this automaton, is nothing to the things I've faced. I'm a Slayer; monsters fear me, not the other way.

Before she can even react I quickly reach for my pistol on my jacket and aim at her. Thanks to a lot of practice, it takes me less than a second to quick-draw my gun.

This handgun utilizes some old, yet reliable, automatic clockwork technology to fire bullets in semi-auto fashion. Plated bronze like most standard guns, this pistol chambers nine low-caliber anti-personnel bullets and I can fire them all in about five seconds if I shoot quickly.

I pull the trigger, causing the lead cast bullet to shoot out and striker her. A loud boom and a painful jolt, and another bullet goes out to her. It takes me just a few seconds to fire off all the rounds into her, and not a one misses.

But I quickly realize something is wrong. This mysterious girl does not even feel my attack. With a somewhat metallic ring, each bullet bounces off her and ricochets to the ground. She sustains no injury.

She seems confused as to what just happed. "Ow… that was loud. Why'd you do that? Trying to scare me? I'll show you scary!"

I lower my arm to my side. _This is not good. It's just like all those other times. The Nightcaster's power protects her from mortal harm, and it seems this creature is no different. Only heavy raw force can hurt her, or at least lower her defenses._

_If it were any other way, I wouldn't need this knife. Good thing I brought it._

I stow my pistol, but before I can bring my knife out she makes a move against me.

Sickly purple mist forms around her hands. Then, almost like one would blow a kiss, she blows the mist off her palm and onto me. I try to throw myself down to let it pass over, but the mist quickly spreads and surrounds me. I have no choice but to breathe in this toxic matter.

Immediately, I choke. "Ugh! Guackl Agh! Argh!"

My eyes inflame and water, my throat burns, and my skin crawls. I cannot breathe, and I cannot see.

A single panicked thought runs through my head. _Poison. Need to get out._

From somewhere ahead I hear the girl laugh at my struggle. She is invisible to me through my pained tears and distorted vision.

Hoping for some kind of clearing this way, I duck down and run to my right. I am relieved to find the area of the poison to be contained. The effects slowly begin to subside as I step into clean air.

I reorient myself to the girl, who is still hovering over her field of lilies. She has a look of disgust and anger when she sees me. Her intentions are clear: death for the human.

But I have no desire to die now. I quickly draw the great knife out of my side sheath and rush at her with it, crossing into the lilies and towards her.

My knife isn't so much a knife as it is a shortsword. Two inches wide at the blade's base and about a two feet long to the tip. Custom made from a titan-steel alloy, it's sharp enough to cut through a light sheet of metal armor and tough enough to not need sharpening.

_I'll make short work of this monster. I'll slay you like I've slain countless others!_

She tries casting another cloud of toxic mist at me, but I duck under it before it settles over me and close in on her. She tries to grab my rising arm with her hand; a bad mistake. Her attempt to stop my attack only brings herself into range. I easily overpower her small arm and bring my blade down across the side of her face.

She recoils back from my slice. "Yeowch!"

Before she can retreat, I take another step forward while turning the blade backwards in my hand. I grab her by the arm and twist to the ground before bringing my blade down on her chest. The blade plunges deep into her cloth-like body. She chokes up in agony.

Then, I get another warning from the back of my mind. I think I just made a bad move.

As my blade sinks in, something shoots out of her. A fine powdery dust, looking to me like black flour, shoots upward. It simply dissipates on my blade, but it immediately begins to hiss and burn as it melts onto my hand. It decomposes into an acidic liquid, burning hotter and hotter.

_Damn it!_ I retract my blade and hand in shock and pain. The substance I received from the girl dissolves into me. My fingertips begin to go numb, and I can see my veins begin to turn black.

It's poison. She's covered in the stuff. Just touching her has infected me with a deadly toxin.

_This is looking bad. I don't know what this will do to me, but I'm not sure if I want to find out. How can I hit her if I'm going to get poisoned for hitting her?_

"Ah… Ow… ow ow ow…" The girl moans as she gets back up and hovers back into the air.

She stops and looks down at the bloodless cut in her chest. She carelessly pokes it and puts her hand in it, curious as to how deep it is. She doesn't seem to feel any pain as she digs deeper and deeper into her artificial body. After a few seconds, she reaches her entire arm through her chest and out her back where my blade impaled her.

She glares at me. "Ah! You put a hole in me! Grr, you scummy little human. Now I'll have to go talk to that idiot doll maker to get sewn up! I can't believe this! I'll poison you until your eyeballs fall off!"

I take a hesitant step back. _She's not even weakened yet! She didn't even notice the cut on the side of her face either. Any person would be dying, from wounds like that. What's more, I've absorbed some of her poison._

_I… don't know if I can defeat her. This fight is not going well. I think I need to get out of here._

She withdraws her arm out of the now widened hole in her chest and advances on me. A small amount of moonlight shines through the gaping hole, but she does not care about it. She's out for my blood now.

Before I can move away from her she strikes at me, attacking me in a new way. She casts her hand out at me and sends forth a lance of solid energy, also purple like her poison. The projectile goes whirling past me and erupts as it crashes in the distance.

_Whoa! Did she just shoot at-_

Another missile goes whirling by. She is shooting at me. Her aim is sloppy, but she's using some serious magic on me.

"Mmph! Stupid arm, why won't you listen? Aim!" The girl curses at herself.

_I need to get out of here before she does get her aim straight. I can't lose her in the open. It looks like the forest is my only option._

I take a short breath. _Ok. One two three GO!_

Without saying a word, I spin around and turn to the forest. I sprint down the hill, using my downward momentum to increase my speed.

By my attacker is not going without a chase. I can hear her following me, flying after me with her magic powers.

She taunts and laughs me as she chases me off the hill. "Aww, look at the scared man running from the little girl. Hahaha! Ruuuun! Run away human! HeheheHAHAHAHA!"

There is an explosion in front of me, followed by a poisonous cloud. I fall down and let myself roll down the hill for a few seconds. My low profile sends me under the cloud safely. I quickly push myself back up and continue to run.

I speed back up to a sprint as I reach the bottom of the hill. The forest is just a short ways away, but I have a whole empty field to cross, and a ferocious magic caster to escape. I can lose her in the trees, but I have to survive this first.

_It's just right over there, don't stop!_

My attacker just continues to laugh aloud as she shoots poison blasts wildly in my direction. "AHAHAHA! Come on human, take your poison!"

_Keep going! _I mentally shout to myself.

Suddenly something, flies in front of me. The tiny doll I saw with her earlier zooms past me and drifts in front of me. She waves her arms around in the air, spreading more of the poisonous powder I sustained earlier.

_More? If I take any more I'll be dead for sure! I can't let myself get hit!_

The doll dances about in front of me, casting deadly toxins into the air. The powder slowly descends to the ground, forming a curtain of poison in front of me.

It's a risky move, but with a grunt I dive forward, skidding along the ground and under the curtain before it falls completely and blocks my path. I waste not a second more and immediately get back to my feet and start running again.

My pursuer simply bursts through the poison wall and keeps after me.

_Joseph whatever you do, do not stop!_ I silently tell myself.

I can hear my pursuer breathing heavily right behind me. "I'm almost there human. I'm gonna grab you and give you your poison."

She's enjoying this pursuit. She clearly has something against humanity, and she's more than happy to vent her frustration on me.

But she's not going to get to any longer. I break through the first line of trees in the forest. I quickly spin around a tree and break her line of sight from me. She cluelessly continues into the forest for a second before she realizes she's lost track.

I don't risk standing around for her to see me again. I run in another direction away from her. She tries following the sound of my running, but the dense trees hide me from her.

"Yeah, you better run human! Don't ever let me see you again you scum!" She calls out, trying to sound tough even though she lost sight of me.

I don't respond. I keep running into the forest, blindly. I want to make sure she stands no chance of spotting me again. After a minute or so, my lungs begin to burn so I stop.

I lean up against one of the old trees here and take a few heavy breaths.

_That was insane. I've never seen someone that strong that looked so… normal. The way she just ignored getting stabbed was impossible, nothing like I've seen before. I think I've just learned that I'm seriously underprepared for this. If everyone is this strong then I'm in trouble._

I take a few more deep breathes before standing upright.

I notice something is wrong with my hand, the one that was poisoned. The veins in my hand are black, and I can't feel my fingers. The effects seem to be spreading through my blood, taking away the life from me.

_What's happening? My hand feels dead. It looks like some kind of blood poison. This could be deadly if it gets to my heart._

I look around through the forest. There is no one here again.

_Damn. Nothing here to help. I'm going to have to take a risk and look for some help, or I'm going to die. The forest doesn't seem to promising, but that girl lived in a flower patch, so maybe someone in here will help me._

_I hope…_

I take a hesitant glance around the forest again before setting off. I take a quick second to reload my pistol just in case. I eject the bullet casings and grab one of my bullet slides and load it.

The bullet casings are magnetic, and can be connected to each other to form magazines or belts without the use of a cartridge or other wasteful containers. Saves time when needing to quickly reload in a fight.

The gears on the handgun click rapidly as the bullets are inserted. Then, with a turn of a switch, the gun closes with a metallic snap. Done.

It takes me a little effort to use my poisoned hand. The sense in it is almost completely gone, and it's getting worse.

_Have to hurry. The poison is spreading._

I sigh as I begin to walk blindly into the forest. _Man… great start, really. Poisoned in the first hour on this place. I've learned I'm at a serious disadvantage though. Magic is much stronger here, and everyone has it. I'm going to need to get an edge if I want to survive out here._

I look at my sickening hand. _First things first. I need an antidote._

I quicken my pace. I keep my gun in hand for self-defense, but it is a shallow comfort to me now. I'm underpowered, outnumbered, and low on time. My situation has become grim in a very short time, but I'm not giving up yet. Someone, somewhere, has to know what to do about this.

_No time to waste. Off we go._

The forest begins to become thicker as I enter deeper into it. I don't know what I'll find here, but I have to hope it's something will save me. Something other than another demon. Something that will heal me.

I hope it's something that will help me survive. It has to be.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my second chapter. Finally got it up...

And so I introduce our beloved Medicine Melancholy (although she never said her name to Joseph). This wasn't really a first fight, but rather just an event that illustrates what Joseph is currently capable of skill wise, how he thinks in a struggle, and what he is up against. In another story of mine, Ancient Arcane Curse, the protagonist is a youkai with a unique power that gives him an advantage over some of the other youkai. But Joseph is human, and I wanted to set the stage for an idea as to how powerful youkai are compared to him. Even though he has some talent as a fighter, he is underpowered from the start, and this will hopefully make for some interesting encounters as he progresses.

And now we're moving the story to the Forest of Magic. In my other story I wrote about this location already. While I don't want to duplicate my world from that story, I really want to keep some of my good ideas I put down. One of the things i'm going to be fighting quite a bit is whether or not to use the same personalities and elements from my other story because they worked, or come up with new interpretations to be original. I'll probably end up doing both as the story goes on, but even if I do that the story is still different, so expect to see a few alterations, twists, or alternate perspectives when I decide to re-use certain elements i've already come up with.

Anyways.

Thank you for reading. I hope to have the next up soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rest for the weary. Rest for the wicked. The world sleeps tonight.**

* * *

"Hello? Is anyone there? I need help!" I blindly shout into the night, hoping for someone to hear me.

The forest is extremely dark, and it's the dead of night as well. On top of that, the poison is starting to affect my vision, causing things to blur.

I take a second to glance down at my hand. I pull back the sleeve of my jacket and see the poison spreading up my arm. My entire arm up to my elbow is dead of feeling, and moving my shoulder is too difficult to do now.

_I have only a few hours before this reaches my heart. At this rate, I'm not going to make it… I need help now._

I look around the dark of the forest and find nobody. Only the trees and blurry darkness.

_But there's no one here! Ugh, I think I sealed my fate coming here. What was I thinking? No sane person is going to live in a forest, much less be out at night._ I curse to myself.

I shake my head and keep walking. _No… I have to keep trying. I can't give up. I won't die from this! Come on, someone please hear me!_

"Hello! Please, I need help! Someone help me!"

Nothing.

I keep walking as fast as I dare with my bad eyesight. I head deeper into the forest, hoping someone will hear me.

Suddenly, I trip on something and almost fall. Both curious and hopeful, I spin around and see what I passed over.

It is something small, so I crouch down. I lower myself and peer at the thing on the ground. It's something looking like a small parasol. Resistant to movement, yet spongy at the touch.

_Mushroom. The last thing I need is more poison._ I irritably think while I stand up.

All mushrooms I know are poisonous ones. Toxic fungi that like to grow in damp mines on ore veins. They're a menace. So much so that specialized teams are sometimes called in to exterminate fungi spores in infested caves.

I'm a little curious as to why one is growing on this tree, but I don't contemplate it any further. I don't need a mushroom, I need a healer. There has to be someone or something out here that can cure this.

"Someone help me! I'm poisoned! I'm going to die!" I shout as I ignore the mushroom and continue onward.

Again, nothing.

"Can anyone hear me? Is anybody there?"

Still nothing.

I keep going on, hopeful that someone or something will hear or see me. I know I run the risk of calling monsters to me, but it's a risk I have to take.

"Hello-augh!" I choke off mid-sentence.

Something wraps around my neck and starts to choke me. I begin to suffocate as vines coil around my throat and chest.

_What is this! Argh! Can't breathe!_

Without trying to identify my attacker. I twist around under the constricting grip and fire the pistol in my hand. The loud crack of gunfire breaks the silence of the night as I blindly shoot at my assailant.

My attack succeeds. There is a gurgling sound and a sickening squish as the bullet breaks flesh.

Or rather, plant flesh. I can clearly see the creature attacking me now that I focus on it. A vicious looking trap plant with jaws large enough to fit a child. My first shot hit it on the mouth, causing yellow digestive fluid to seep out.

_A man-eating plant? Better kill it quickly then. I am not going to be food._

I raise my aim and fire three more shots into it. The plant hisses and gurgles as its own digestive fluid spills out and dissolves its own stalk and roots. The ensnaring vines go limp as the plant begins to die.

I step back, now free from the killer plant.

"Try eating this." I growl as I fire off one last shot to execute the ailing plant.

The bullet puts another hole in the jaw of the plant. Unable to withstand the last injury, the man-eating plant slumps over and dies. Its spilled digestive juices devour the fallen remains of the plant, and it begins to bubble away into smoke.

I breathe deeply. _What a waste of time that was. I should watch out for any more of those. I won't get healed in time if I keep getting ambushed by plants._

I begin to walk away from the defeated plant when I hear something.

"Yo! Keep it down-da-ze! Trying to sleep here!" a tomboyish voice calls out.

_A voice! Someone's heard me!_

I quickly spin around to face the voice. I can vaguely see a girl's shape standing in a doorway leading to a lit interior. The light of a building casts a shadow over her.

But I don't care, it's someone.

Feeling somewhat dizzy from the poison now, I quickly stagger over to her.

"Eh? What's wrong with you? Are you ok? You looking kinda sick there." She asks as she sees me wander towards her.

"Help me, please. I've been poisoned. I'm dying!" I quickly reply.

"Poisoned? You have a run in with lil' Medicine?" She asks again.

_Who? _"I don't know what you're talking about. But I need help. I got poisoned by a little girl in a flower field over on the hills. Is there a cure? Please tell me you can help me."

"Yeah that's Medicine… Well, I think I might have a little something-ze. Maybe… Come on in, hurry up." She says while turning back inside.

I try my best to hurry after her. I approach the building and enter. The door springs shut on its own once I let it go.

I can't see well enough to make out this room, but I see the blur of a girl dressed in black rummaging through a cabinet.

"Please… Help me…" I nervously whisper.

"Right right. Quiet down and have a seat over there. I think I got somethin'." She casually dismisses.

_Right… calm down. Follow her example and stay cool._

I glance around the room and manage to make out what looks like a chair. I feel my way into it and sit down.

I start to breathe heavily, nervous and worried about my poisoning. I take off my jacket and roll up the sleeve on my shirt to find my entire arm is discolored, and all my veins are blackened.

_No time left. She has to be able to fix this or I'm dead._

The girl turns back around towards me.

"Alright. This should help. Eat this." She says as she hands an item to me.

It's a mushroom. Green in color from cap to stalk.

_A mushroom? Cure? Is she trying to kill me?_

I hesitate. "I…"

She makes some kind of gesture; distorted to my eyes. "Well? Go ahead and take it-ze. Don't worry about paying. You can help me once you get better, but you should hurry."

_Hmm… should I trust her? I guess I have no choice._

I take a deep breath. _Ok then… here we go!_

I cast aside reservation and devour the small mushroom. With three quick bites I stuff the entire mushroom down and swallow.

I grimace at the flavor. Bitter and earthy.

_There. Done. Either this woman is telling the truth and I just survived, or she's lying and I'm already dead._

But then, miraculously, my vision clears. I slowly begin to feel better.

_It… it's working?_

I look down at my hand. The discoloration is fading away, and my veins are returning to normal. My blood is being cleansed and refortified. I've been healed.

_Well then… heh. Look at that. A healing mushroom. It looks like I've mistaken the rules of the world here. Things aren't always the same._

With strength and feeling returning to my arm and confidence restored, I stand up.

"Thank you ma'am. You've saved my life." I politely say.

The girl laughs. "Ma'am? Haha! I'm not your mom, no need for all that. Just call me Marisa. Marisa Kirisame if you're keen on being nice."

I can see the young woman through clear eyes now. She's in her late teens, maybe early twenties, dressed in a black cloth dress with frills aplenty. A simple white waist apron is tied on her skirt and contrasts her garb with white. She has blonde hair and unusual bronze-gold eyes. Standing out on top of her head is a black pointed hat; something associated with storybook witchcraft.

But she still saved my life. Setting aside her strange appearance and speech mannerisms I give her my respect.

"Marisa then. Thank you. I was beginning to fear there was no cure." I say with a polite bow.

She shrugs. "There isn't really-ze. Not for Medicine anyways. I just slipped ya a cure-all to deal with it. You were lucky I still had one left."

_Some sort of super cure? Amazing. And I'm guessing Medicine is that poisonous construct's name. This girl seems quite smart, and friendly. Perhaps I should stick with her for a bit and try to get a better understanding of things in this world._

_But who just what is she? Is she one of the humans in this world or… a demon?_

"Just… hm… don't take this the wrong way, but… Are you human?" I hesitantly ask.

She finds nothing odd about the question. "Yep. All the way. I'm just an ordinary magician-da-ze. This is my shop."

_Ordinary magician? A human mage. This woman would be a criminal in my world, but here… I think I'll have to get used to this. If humans live alongside these youkai then that means humans could very well have demon powers to match. I'd best be careful._

"I see…" I quietly reply, hiding me thoughts.

She steps across the room towards a counter on the other end. She spins around the counter and takes her position on the other end.

"Anyways. I don't usually care for late night customers, but… Welcome to the Kirisame Magic Shop! Feel free to ask me about anything." She energetically says.

_Introducing me to the store now? This girl is strange._

Still, I look around. There are numerous potions and tonics, and a few strange looking trinkets with little price stickers on them scattered all around the room. The place is overall pretty crowded and messy. It hardly serves as a store.

I have no money, but this is still rather interesting to see. A place like this would have been shut down in a heartbeat. The only legal use of magic in my world is closely monitored magic fusion and conjuration experiments. Witchcraft is forbidden.

I shake my head and decline. "No thank you. I'm not interested in purchasing anything. This is what you do for a living?"

"Nah. Not really. Just sort of a side thing. I live on my own out here for the most part. Helping humans deal with youkai and whatnot. It's an easy life-ze."

_So she just coasts through life? Hmm. That does sound easy. I do not have that luxury._

"So you help other humans fight these demons? I guess you're something like a youkai hunter then?" I question.

She thinks about it for a moment before agreeing. "Yeah, somethin' like that. I do what I can. Youkai can be a real problem sometimes. It's not so much that I care for the humans as I really don't like youkai. I mean, they can be punks sometimes ya know? Plus it's good practice!"

_Good. Then I know I can trust her. We aren't so different Marisa._

She changes the topic. "Anyways. I still need you to pay me back for that Panacea Mushroom I gave you-ze. Those things are rare, and I don't do free lunch."

_Urk! _"Sorry for troubling you. I didn't mean to take your rare cure."

She crosses her arms. "Well, you can help me pay it back then. I'm guessing you don't have any money? Not many people do around here. Well, I'm going mushroom picking tomorrow morning, how about you come along and help me carry some-ze. Two people should help me carry a lot more."

I nod. "Fine. That would be fine with me."

She smiles and gives me a thumbs up. "Great. So see you in the morning?"

_Wait, what am I going to do until then?_ "Um…"

She leans towards me a bit. "You don't have a place to stay do you? You new here?"

"Yeah… something like that." I quietly reply.

"Really now? That's cool I guess." She says with a tired enthusiasm. "Well, I guess you can sleep in the chair if you need a place. I don't have any other beds or anything. That ok-da-ze?"

_Whew. I could use some rest. _"Yes. That's fine. Thank you. Are you sure you're ok with that? We only barely just met."

"Yeah. No worries. You aren't going to steal from me are you?"

I shake my head no.

At that, Marisa turns back towards a door opposite the front door. " Good. Well, I'm beat. Let's sleep up and we can start in the morning."

"Yeah. Sorry for waking you for all this." I apologize

She waves me off. "Don't worry 'bout it-ze. Goodnight…er…"

"Joseph. Joseph Mateba."

"Right, Joseph. Goodnight." She says as she leaves the room.

I'm left alone in this room as she goes on to bed.

_She… really left me here. She has an awful lot of trust in strangers. Either that or she just doesn't care._

_Or she's so powerful that only idiots steal from her. I can never be too sure._

I rub my forehead, still suffering some side effects from the poison.

_Well. No need to worry about that now. I've been running on zero sleep for the past two days now. I should rest and get my strength back up._

I walk over to the lanterns lighting the shop room and douse them before returning to the chair.

I sit down in it and pull out my pistol. As a last second security measure, given that I will be resting in a stranger's home, I reload it and set it on my side.

_Tomorrow. We do things right. Right now… sleep…_

I slouch back into the chair, keeping a hand on my gun, and let myself succumb into a much needed sleep.

* * *

"Woohoohoo!"

The Nightcaster enthusiastically twirls around the main living room of her new residence, enjoying all of the perks it has to offer.

_I do not know why Master puts up with these eccentricities. I can hardly stand this… But I'm nearly done. A little more patience and I'll be done with this girl._ I think to myself, trying to stay calm.

She continues to twirl across the room until she collides with the cushioned chair and sinks into it with a pleased smile.

She gestures widely to the candle lit room. "This is amazing Ran. This 'outsider' house is like living in a royal's home. This tops everything back in my world. You made this?"

I glance around the room. It's an old western styled two story house, large enough for a family. The majority of the lower floor is this public study and a kitchen but there is a luxurious bathroom, bedroom, magic room, and private study on the second floor as well; all of which we have been touring. It's everything one would need for a life of luxury and privacy.

Of course, I only made a few adjustments. With some help from some fairies, I spent the last few hours adding features and redecorating the house with a more antique, 'gothic' she called it, theme to make her feel more at home. All done at Master's request.

"No. With Gensokyo expanding more and more, sometimes instabilities in the border cause parts from the outside world to get dragged in and trapped in it. I just dredged this up from the border and fixed it with some commodities for your spell crafting. I hope you find everything suitable." I say with a sigh.

She takes a deep satisfied breath as she glances around the room. "It's perfect. You're the best best best! Can't believe I got my own house just for coming here!"

_Usually you don't…_ "Well, it wouldn't do a magician any good to have to sleep outside would it? Anyways, I've also subscribed you to the Bunbunmaru newspaper. They deliver once a week on Sunday."

She cocks her head sideways. "Hm? I thought this place was in the border like your home. How is a news boy gonna deliver me a paper?"

"There is an anonymous mailbox in the human village that will teleport its contents to your mail hopper by the front door. It is completely private. Just remember to read that with a grain of salt." I explain.

She nods. "Good. And the door?"

"Spelled to allow access only to you, just like you asked. Once I go, only Master Yukari will be able to reach you here. There are only a few locations where the door will lead as of right now, but you can always configure it to be more flexible if you need. The mechanism next to the door changes the location. Just remember that key I gave you has a delay for each teleportation use, so be careful not to rely on it too much."

She smiles at me. "Great! Super-duper! Hehehe!"

She then hops up off the lounge chair. "Alright, so I wanted to get started tonight. Where's the books? The magic ones Yukari said she'd loan me."

Before I can answer, she stops me." Waitwaitwait, it's these right?"

She briskly walks over to the large bookshelf of non-magic books and quickly glances through them. "Hmmm. Maps? No… A cook book? Really? Ugh… Hmmm, not that one either."

"Ms. Nightcaster, your magic books are on that shelf." I point to the smaller bookshelf on the other end of the room near.

She spins around, and almost immediately chokes up.

"B-but… that's just a nightstand! There aren't even ten books on that!" She cries out.

Still rather shocked, she slowly shuffles to the small nightstand and picks a book.

She reads each with increasing agitation. "Magic for… beginners? Safe magic and starting spells? Oh! This looks good! The Grimoire of Mari-aah, what? Pictures? Are you kidding me? This is for children!"

Then, in a sudden burst of anger she takes the books in her hands and slams them down on the top of the shelf. "There's nothing here! This is junk! Damn it!"

She angrily pounds her fist onto the pile of books. Her wrath causes magic to erupt from her hand, sending a booming shockwave that rattles the walls and extinguishes all the lights in the room. The magic symbols on her bare arm pulsate and glow in the dark as she huffs in anger.

She quickly shoots a harsh glance at me with her gleaming red eyes. "I thought you said there was magic in Gensokyo. Where is it?"

I am a little surprised at this wicked side of the Nightcaster, but otherwise unamused.

"Yukari is not a magician. This is all we had." I flatly reply.

She says nothing. The glowing in her arm lessens a bit as she starts to reign in her anger.

"I see…" She whispers to herself.

"There is a great deal of magic to be had in Gensokyo, but you won't be a great magician by staying indoors. You will have to go out and find it." I offer, hoping to calm her childish fit.

She slowly nods. "I see… Well then!"

She snaps her fingers twice. All at once the candles relight.

"I guess I'll have to do just that! Better get ready Gensokyo, 'cause I'm going out!" She says with cheer in her voice once more.

_What was that reaction? Her personality changed in an instant…_

"Yes." I quietly agree. "But first, you would do well to brush up on you Gensokyo culture."

I walk over to the larger bookshelf and draw three books from it. I turn back and hand them to her, which she hesitantly accepts.

She looks at the first book with some disdain. "Gensokyo Chronicle? What is this? A history lesson?"

"It's an encyclopedia of Gensokyo." I patiently explain. "It's the latest edition. There are many creatures in Gensokyo, but only a few stand out as truly powerful among the masses of lesser beasts. You would do well to know who is who, and read about the locations they reside."

She nods and looks at the other two. "What are these? No title on them."

I point to the bluish book. "This is a record of all of the major incidents that have occurred up to this point; including locations, people involved, and agreements made. It was written by my master as a personal reference, so it is the only one of its kind. Again, you would do well to learn about the other residents' behaviors before setting out."

I then point to the black one. "This is also a one of a kind book written for my master's personal use. It is like Gensokyo Chronicle, but for Makai. Makai is a realm of demons and strange magic parallel to Gensokyo. I would recommend reading on it, regardless if you intend to go there or not. You may find something in Makai that interests you."

"Makai huh? Hmm. Sounds interesting." She muses.

The Nightcaster then spins around on one heel and walks to the center table in the middle of the room where she drops the books. She stretches and takes a deep breath before turning to the stairs.

"Alright then. I'm gonna get cleaned up and get some sleep. Study-study in the morning and then I am going O-U-T out! This is gonna be great!"

I sigh. "I'm glad you are enjoying yourself. Now, is there anything-"

"Nope." She instantly replies. "Thanks for the place Ran. Tell Yukari thank you for the food too. I'll swing by if I need anything else. Bye."

"Very well. Goodnight Nightcaster."

With that, I rend the border of space and form a gap leading to the Master's house. As I step through, I exhale loudly; glad to be rid of that strange foreign girl.

_Just what was Master thinking bringing her here; coddling her like this? That outburst she had tells me without a doubt she is going to be a problem. I hope Master is willing to do the right thing if she starts to cause trouble. I can only pray that trouble isn't already Master's intention._ I quietly think to myself as I pass through the gap.

The end of the gap draws near. I can see the house on the other side. _Well… I suppose there is no sense in worrying about her anymore. I doubt she will need our help for anything. Now… I should go home and get some rest. It has been a long night._

* * *

Morning.

A tap from Marisa tells me so. I'm a light sleeper, so it doesn't take any more than a bump on the shoulder to wake me.

"Yo! Wake up, time to get to work. You owe me, remember-ze?" She says with more energy than last night.

My senses slowly return. I stand up out of the chair and into the dim shop room.

_Morning time I guess. I said I'd help her get mushrooms today. I should take the time to try and ask some questions for my journey ahead. I need an idea of where to go._

She gives me a light shake, grabbing me by the arm. "Come on, wake up! Got quite a bit of work ahead."

I shrug her off. "I know. I remember. I'll help you."

She heads to the door. "Ready? Come on then, we got a lot of ground to cover. It's winter soon, so that means that those rare end-of-the-year mushrooms are going to be coming around. Lots to do!"

I nod. "Yes. Let us be on our way."

She cocks an eyebrow at me. "Really? Haha. Formal type aren't ya? You need to lighten up a bit. Come on, I'll lead. You can tell me more about yourself while we walk. Stay close though. Some of the plants in the forest are enchanted, and they can get nasty."

I silently agree and we begin to head out.

I find myself in a strange position. A hunter being led by a witch. Yet I find some comfort in this girl. She is strange, yet quite friendly to me. It's as if she doesn't have a care in the world.

Even as a Slayer, I feel no desire to harm her. I can't go around fighting every demon I see anyways. That would be suicide.

_This should be an easy morning. I'll do a little work and get some information. The Nightcaster is surely trying to adjust as well. I have all the time I need to hunt her down._

_But for now… I can't believe I'm saying this… I'm picking mushrooms._

Marisa leads me into a silver morning light. The forest awaits, and we have much ground to cover. I've survived my first night here. Now, I have a brief moment of ease collect plants with a new friend.

A witch of all people.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

So we start introducing Marsia here. She's just a bit subdued as of right now, but I kind of wanted to be realistic with that it 's really late and she's tired. I'll have some more fun with these two in the next chapter. The main things I wanted to establish here is that Marisa is, strangely enough, a beacon of sanity to Joseph, and that he has found safety in his new surroundings.

Then I had a bit more time with Charity the Nightcaster and how she is settling in. Thanks to Yukari, she's doing quite well, and I wanted to demonstrate that she is getting treated much differently than Joseph is because of her relation with her. In addition to that, I wanted to better set up her personality as an antagonist with a crazy streak as she was talking with Ran. This will probably be the last perspective swap for a little bit, but I still have a lot of fun doing that.

Anyways.

Thank you again. I'll have the next chapter ready soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**A shared experience. A shared pain. Nostalgia is not always pleasant.**

* * *

I continue to follow Marisa as we travel aimlessly through the forest. Faint silver light shines down on this cool morning.

A few steps ahead of me, the witch Marisa leans down and plucks a colorful mushroom off a root of a tree. Both of us are carrying bags for holding the mushrooms. Hers is mostly full now. Mine… less so.

It's not that I'm not giving it any effort, but that she finds them before I can even see them. I have no idea how she is able to identify them so quickly.

Chasing stealthy demons and being pursued by the Nightcaster's minions has trained my eyes and made me cautious, but she seems to be able to find mushrooms before they are even within view. I cannot help but wonder if she is using magic or is just that good.

She bags the mushroom she just grabbed and spins back to me with a smile. "That's another. How you doing back there-ze?"

I sigh. "I'm not seeing too many…"

She resumes leading the way. "They're there. Just keep looking. We got time."

_I need to get this done soon though. I don't want to waste the entire day doing this._

Marisa passes the time with some idle conversation. "So do you like mushrooms? You seemed kinda… skeptical last night when I served you one."

"Not really. I'm… not too familiar with them I guess you could say." _I still can't believe there are actually good mushrooms._

"Ah, but you should-ze. These are some nice ones we're getting today." She says as she beats me to yet another.

Marisa takes the mushroom she just grabbed and holds it up to me. It is reddish brown on the cap and gray on the stalk. It is bloated and puffy, and almost requires two hands for Marisa.

"See this one's my favorite. Mage Hats are good for the head. Helps you focus on tricky magic. Good way to start the morning-ze." She happily explains.

_I'm really not interested in that. _I irritably think to myself.

She then takes out another. A blue one with a white spot on the tip.

"This one's a sneaky one. It looks like a healing mushroom, but this Coldfire Mushroom is not for eating. Boil it to mush and you have yourself a nice little bomb. Good stuff here." She finishes with a grin.

"Marisa, that's nice, but can we keep moving? I can tell you love mushrooms, but I really have other things to do." I voice my opinion this time.

She places her mushrooms in the bag and continues forward. "Sure thing, sure thing. We still got a ways to go yet, so I hope you're not in a rush."

I agree. "I know. I have time."

_But I should ask some questions. There is so much I don't know about Gensokyo._

"So, I wanted to ask some questions about this place. I guess you could say I'm not from around here." I start.

She interrupts me before I can ask anything. "Oh yeah… You an outsider? Been a while since I heard from one of you types. How are you adjusting to Gensokyo?"

_Gensokyo? So that's what this world is called… Gensokyo._

She continues when I don't reply right away. "I guess it's not quite like what you're used to? Hope you haven't been having too much of a hard time around here."

"I arrived yesterday. Getting poisoned and seeing you are all I've managed so far."

She chuckles a bit. "Really? Rough start-ze? I'm sure you'll start to do better. You look like a guy who can handle a little trouble."

Slowly, Marisa begins to stop and turn around. "Actually… you don't look like an ordinary outsider. Never seen someone dressed up like that before. You look like you've seen your share of trouble. Who did you say you were again?"

_I wondered if this would come up. What should I say? I don't think telling the truth outright would help; just confuse her. Yet I don't think I'm going to get away with a lie either. I should just avoid this conversation altogether._

"You're right. I'm not an ordinary outsider. For simplicities sake, let's just say I'm a rather unique individual with some special talents." I reply.

She peers at me harder. "Hmm…"

I try clarifying to ease her curiosity. "I don't know everything about Gensokyo, but I've dealt with…er… youkai before; quite often. I know about magic, but I don't use any myself. I have quite a bit of combat experience against the supernatural too."

"Really?" She asks, halfway doubting.

I try a third time to avoid her questioning. "Yes. I'm sorry if that doesn't help with your questions, but I have reasons for secrecy. I'm a hunter of sorts, and that's all you need to know."

She stares at me another second before giving up with a sigh "Well. Ok then… If you say so Joseph."

She turns back around and starts leading the way. "But… you said you don't use magic? You've fought youkai _without _magic?"

"Correct…"

She looks backwards at me with a quizzical and confused look. "Really now? You must be pretty tough."

_I wasn't always that way…_

She goes on. "But that doesn't mean much here. I don't know what kind of youkai you've fought before, but the same rules don't apply to us. Gensokyo runs on magic. Everyone's got it, even humans. Normal weapons and attacks can't hurt youkai here. I don't know what you're here for, but you're not getting too far without some kind of magic backing you up."

"R-really? I see."

_Me learn magic? Well… I suppose some of my abilities are magical in nature, but controlling actual magical energies? It's not possible for me is it? I'm a Slayer, the death of all things supernatural. Is that the same thing as being an enemy of magic? Or is magic just a tool, a neutral thing?_

_The power of magic destroys humanity, causing people to become monsters or demons, but it can be safely controlled with things like magical mediums or enchantments. A reckless user is doomed to lose their humanity, like Charity did, but a careful one is capable of controlling a very powerful natural force. Perhaps if I had something that could help me safely learn to control magic._

Something clicks. _Wait. Mediums can. Maybe I can learn magic through a medium like…_

I set my bag down and reach into my pocket where I kept the stone I got from the Nightcaster. It's still glowing blue in my hand.

Marisa sets her bag down steps towards me when the glow catches her eye. "Whoa! Haha! Where'd you get that thing? That's thing's overflowing with magic. I thought you said you didn't touch the stuff?"

"I don't. It's a gift from… an old friend." I quietly reply. "If I really do need magic to survive, then maybe I can still learn."

"Here, lemme have a look at it-ze."

I toss her the stone, and she catches it. She proceeds to hold it up to the light and try and look through it.

"Neat stuff. It looks like it's some kind of magic boosting crystal. Not too common around here. This thing is pretty much just an endless supply of extra juice. I bet you could do all kinds of things with this like cast spells or enchant weapons. Neat stuff, neat stuff…" She slowly trails off.

She, if somewhat reluctantly, tosses the stone back to me and picks her bag of mushrooms back up.

"But I don't even know how to use it." I reply.

"Well we all start from somewhere, don't we?"

"I'm sure an expert such as yourself would be able to offer me the help I need. Maybe… you can teach me?" I hesitantly ask.

Marisa stops in front of me.

_Hm? _"Marisa? What is it? Er… was that not right? I'm sorry if that was absurd. I shouldn't have asked."

Marisa says nothing. She instead looks into her bag of mushrooms. After a few seconds she pulls her head out and looks at me with a frustrated expression. Without a word, she tosses the bag at me, causing it slowly float through the air before falling flat on the ground.

Her bag is empty.

I get a warning chill in the back of my mind.

_What? Empty? _"Marisa, what happened? Have we been stolen from? Who would do this?"

She sighs. "Fairies I think. I almost didn't notice the lack of weight, so it must have been something magical. Must've swapped out my bag when I set it down…"

_Fairies? I've heard about that, but I thought they were a joke. A myth of a demon that never existed. Do they exist here?_

She looks around. "Well winter is coming around-ze. Maybe they're looking for some food to hold them over."

"Well… I guess in that case you can't really blame them. Maybe we should just leave them alone?" I ask.

Marisa laughs aloud. "Ha! No way. We're gonna find them, beat them up, and take their mushrooms instead-ze!"

I'm a bit surprised at this sudden change. "What? Why so violent about it? Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. Surely there is no need to bully another over food."

She laughs again. "Haha! You obviously don't understand how things work around here. If you have a problem with someone, you settle it with a fight. That's how we do it in Gensokyo."

_I'm not looking for pointless conflicts, but if that's the way the world works then I guess it can't be helped this time. If they did take from us then they should be punished._

"Besides, you still owe me. If we get all their mushrooms we could be done and you could get going." She adds.

_Then there's that._

"Alright, fine. Where are these fairies?"

Marisa scans around for a minute before pointing in a direction. "There. I think I saw something over there. C'mon this way."

Still carrying my bag, I hurry after Marisa as she runs through the forest in some unknown direction. Even in dress she is surprisingly fast.

It doesn't take more than a minute of running before we find something. Or rather, we hear something. A rhythmic fluttering noise.

Marisa slows to a sneaking walk and peers around a tree ahead. I step behind her and look over her shoulder.

Ahead is a clearing with a group of small people. Tiny girls ranging anywhere from one to two feet tall. They are dressed in various colors of red, green, and blue, and each one has a pair of transparent butterfly wings.

_So these are fairies. They look much more innocent than I thought._

The fairies float about the field, plucking mushrooms from the ground and putting it in a large bag carried by two fairies. The bag is huge, and brimming with various mushrooms. They've been at this for quite a while.

Or they just got that way because they stashed Marisa's mushrooms.

Marisa steps back and turns to me. "Alright, you ready?"

I nod. "Ready. Lead the way, and I'll back you up how I can."

She smiles at me. "What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything."

"Huh?"_ Does she want me to lead the attack?_

"Well you said you wanted to learn magic. Now's your chance. Go out there and show them what you got." She says as she starts to take my bag off my shoulders.

_What! _"Marisa, I don't know how."

She leans back on the tree. "Ah… Nothing beats some live experience-ze?"

"Marisa, this is some risk I'm taking here. I don't want to lose our work or get injured experimenting with a stone that I don't know how to use properly. Can you not help?" I counter.

She sighs and gives me a determined look. "Alright, Joseph, listen here. I'm trying to give you a little hand adjusting to Gensokyo. You need magic, and you need to learn how things work. You asked me for help, and this is how I do it. Now if you want to change your mind that's fine. I can spin around and spark all those fairies and you can go get yourself beat up again. Or you can step up, and learn some magic. Your choice."

_What the? Where is this sudden aggression coming from? It's like she's another person!_

_But… she may have a point. Blindly experimenting is probably the fastest way to learn magic for me. I may make some mistakes, but I've self-taught myself pretty much everything I know. If I really can use magic, if at all, then I can teach myself this too._

I take a deep breath. "Alright, then. I'll go out there. No promises though. I hope you're right about this."

Mysteriously, Marisa goes back to her old self. "Alright. That's the spirit-da-ze. Go on out there and show your stuff!"

"Shh! At least let me have the element of surprise." I whisper.

She chokes. "Urk! Right. Sorry."

I slowly begin to distance myself from her and make my way towards the clearing ahead. The fairies are still busy scouring the field of Mushrooms.

_Alright… here I go._

Instead of drawing my pistol or knife, I draw a magic stone out. Somehow, I'm going to spell these fairies away and reclaim our stolen goods.

I clutch the stone tightly in my hand, gripping the crystal as best I can. I raise my arm in front of me like I'm aiming the stone and advance on the fairies.

A small blue fairy spots me as she heads my direction in search of mushrooms. "Eh? Eek! Someone's here!"

"Slow down, he's just a human." Another high-pitched fairy voice chimes in.

Slowly the fairies drop what they're doing and begin clouding around me. Curious eyes stare at me from every direction, drawing ever closer as the seconds pass. There are at least ten of them; I'm easily outnumbered.

_Oh boy I hope this works. I'm in trouble if I screw up. I'm completely surrounded._

"Hey Human! I think you better turn around before you get hurt." A fairy taunts.

_Alright. Now or never. Come on, do something stone! Hraaaa!_

Nothing.

"Hehe. What are you trying to do? Dance? This human is funny." A fairy chuckles as I wave my magic stone through the air.

_Work damn you!_

The fairies continue to laugh at my useless efforts until one of the bigger fairies stops them. "Alright, show's over girls. This was all good fun, but you should leave. Get out of here and we won't do anything to you. Hurry up now, shoo!"

_Ok, maybe anger won't work. No, it can't. The Nightcaster casts with anger and passion to use her dark spells. I need to stay calm. Concentrate Joseph. Focus…_

_Focus…_

_Focus… and blast these creatures away._

The stone in my hand suddenly vibrates. Something in it responds to my will. Hoping to unleash some kind of attack, I thrust the stone forward like I'm casting a spell.

Then, with a rumble like distant thunder, the air around me distorts as transparent force erupts like a shockwave. An explosion of raw power envelops me and flies outward, casting off the surrounding fairies like they were made of straw.

All the fairies fly through the air and tumble to the ground. Leaving me standing in the field as they all slowly get up.

_What… what just happened? Was that me or the stone?_

I don't feel any different, but the stone in my hand does feel lighter now. It seems to have responded to me. It's not quite magic because it's not coming from me, but it's still a magical attack.

_Hmmm. Can I use it again though?_

"Owww… Why you! Alright mister! If you want to fight then you got it! Let's get him!" A fairy calls out as she takes to the air again.

I hear a whirling from behind me. A pair of magical bullets whirl past me before hitting the ground. The fairies that were knocked down are slowly getting up, and an eerie glow around them hints at magic being prepared.

_Whoa! They're fighting back! Even fairies can fight with magic? Crap. Guess I'll have to make it work again now. I'm dead if I don't._

I glance around and find one of the fairies flying around me. I aim the stone towards her in hopes of making some kind of directed attack.

To my surprise, the stone responds instantly; generating another rumble as it activates. The stone sends a rocket of forceful energy that strikes the fairy and punts her through the air a second time.

_Ok! Whew, that was easy. Let's bring them down._

Focusing the stone on the fairies causes the blast to be focused on them. Using the stone on nothing or no target in particular causes a wide eruption that is slower and has shorter reach. Two attacks are available.

It takes me a few seconds between attacks, but I begin to find it easy to punch these fairies out of the air using blasts from the stone. One by one, I blast the fairies and send them crashing to the ground.

But it's only just a stun. The blast causes them some pain, but they just get back up. While powerful, these attacks are non-lethal.

_Argh! Come on, stay down!_

I duck down and sidestep as an arrow from the fairies' magic heads towards me. A narrow dodge, but I'm still ok.

"Mmph. Too close…" I mutter to myself as I aim and knock over another little fairy.

I quickly rise up and blast another fairy down to the ground. Still, it only takes a few seconds for the fairy to rub her sore head and hop back into the air.

One of the larger fairies takes advantage of their numbers and blindsides me, rushing down from above.

"Hiyaa!" Shouts a cute sounding fairy as she zooms in towards me.

I try stepping to the side, but she homes in on me. I try shooting her down with a blast, but amazingly she dodges; using the instant between the rumble and the impact to swiftly twirl sideways and dodge it. With magic in her hand, she flies towards me with the intent to ram me.

_What? I missed? I can miss with this thing? Ah, crap! Here she comes!_

But then, something intervenes. A colorful projectile slams into the fairy. The projectile erupts in a shower of lights and sparks, taking the fairy with it. With a pained squeak, the fairy dies, and is no more.

When the blast clears, there is nothing there but a glittering blue dust; the remains of the fairy.

I glance around in confusion and see that she is not the only one. A series of unusual star-shaped attacks scatter across the battlefield and take out the fairies. Each fairy falls into a colored dust matching her dress. The dust drifts in the air for a moment before fading away into nothing.

After just a second of shooting, the fairies are all dispatched. The field falls silent as the shooting stops. In less than a minute the fight is over.

_Who was that? What happened?_

Following the direction of the projectiles back, I find Marisa standing on the other end of the clearing with her hand extended outward. When she sees me see her she gives me a thumbs up.

_Marisa. So you decided to step in after all. Good to know you weren't just pushing me around._

She walks over to me. "You ok?"

I nod. "Yes, fine thanks to you. Did you do that?"

She laughs. "Haha! Yep! All me-da-ze! These fairies are pushovers. Just a little stardust and boom! Hehehe."

"So that's your magic then? Very impressive. Thank you very much for that." I politely say.

She smiles brightly. "No problem!"

_Good thing you showed up. I think it's safe to say that abusing the stone has some disadvantages. I can get too predictable if I keep repeating the same move over and over, and it's not very fast either. I would have been in trouble without her help today. Thanks Marisa._

_But…_ "I thought you weren't going to do anything? I mean, not that I'm not glad, but didn't you say you were letting me do this?"

She shrugs. "Well… um… I guess I couldn't really. Just couldn't watch you struggle like that-ze. Just didn't feel right."

Marisa takes a seat on the ground and looks up at the late morning sky. "I guess that thing my master meant about creating your own paths still holds true. I bet she would've laughed if she saw me trying to act like her like I just did."

_Master? _"Who would that be?"

She sighs. "Mima… just an old friend I never see now. She taught me how to use magic. She was… er… kind of rough on me, but we got along fine. The first time I asked her for help learning magic, back when I was just a little kiddo, she acted just like that. She threw me at some freaky youkai from the dream world I'd never seen before and told me to beat it-ze. It was scary, but I pulled it off and ultimately learned how to use magic. I thought the tough approach might help you like it helped me… but I just can't pull it off like Mima could."

She sighs again, talking in a slower depressed tone. "Man… this is bringing me down thinking about this. I really miss Mima. We had some tough times, but I had a lot of respect for her. She took me up and showed me how to control my magic. We had as much fun as we had trouble-ze. Those were good times. But then, one day Mima told me a bunch of stuff about making my own path, and never trying to be someone else. Then the next day, she vanished. Never saw her again. I… don't know where she is now…"

I'm not quite sure what to make of all that, but I try to cheer her up. "I see. Sorry to hear that. I didn't mean to trouble you with the past. If it's any consolation, it did actually help me a small bit. I don't think I learned magic, but I think I have a way of manipulating the stone. I've learned something valuable today thanks to you."

She smiles somewhat weakly. "Yeah… your welcome I guess. I shouldn't be getting all teary like this either. Just that stunt I pulled on you kind of dug up some memories. Sorry about all that, pushing you around and stuff. I really was just trying to help. I'm just not teaching material-ze."

"It's fine. You helped me how you could. I shouldn't be bothering strangers with my problems anyways." I reply.

She ponders for a second. "But I know some people who might be able to help you though if you want to buff up a bit. I can always recommend you to some friends of mine and see if you really need it."

_Really now? _"Sounds interesting. Truth is that I'm looking for a rather dangerous person here. She's a lot stronger than me, so anything you can think of would be of great aid to me."

She nods. "Sure thing-ze. I think I have a few people in mind."

She begins with an explanation. "Ok. I know this girl, Patchouli, who runs a library. She's not the friendliest person In Gensokyo, but she has a ton of spells and is a super smart magician. I bet she could show you how to use that stone to do some actual magic. That blast thingy isn't going to get you very far on its own-da-ze."

_True. I still feel nervous about using magic and how it will change me as a Slayer, but I will need it. It seems the stone itself isn't the key to learning magic. I will need a spell to direct my magic to for it to work properly._

She goes on. "Now, this next one might be a bit of a longshot, but another friend of mine is really good at working with weird magic like enchantments and curses and stuff-ze. She usually uses her magic to make dolls, but I bet she could show you how to put magic into your weapons. Make your old weapons pack a punch again. Again, low chance of that actually working, but who knows."

_What? Amazing! I should prioritize that. I could really use my pistol again. I never thought about trying to put magic on the pistol to make it deal more damage._

"Then there's this kappa I met once, her name's Nitori, who is really good with machines."

"Machines? What's that have to do with anything?" I ask.

"Well I saw that thing you have. The loud thing. I think I heard an outsider call it a…pistol… something with a 'p' I think. Anyways, Nitori is really good with those things. If you wanted to get a hold of a few weapons to give you an edge than maybe you could ask her to work out something for you-ze. She's a little odd, but she can make anything. She's a genius." She concludes.

_So she's something like an engineer. Interesting to find one of those here. I'll keep it in mind. A little extra firepower might actually be useful if everyone else here is already this strong._

_Ok, so that's three people. I should prioritize my self-defense first and see this doll maker about enchanting weapons with magic. Then, I'll find this librarian and see if I can convince her to teach me about actual spells. Finally, I'll pay a visit to this kappa girl and ask her if she might be willing to manufacture weapons or ammo for me._

_And then… the Nightcaster._

"Well? Any of that sound useful?" Marisa asks.

"Yes, actually. I think it does. All off it. I'm going to need all the help I can get." I reply.

Marisa smiles a bit more naturally this time. "Glad to hear it. Now, why don't we get these mushrooms back to my place and I'll take you to one of them. Can't show you them all at once, I've got stuff to do too, but I can get you started."

"Perfect. Sounds good. Thank you Marisa."

Marisa gets up and walks around me towards the center of this clearing where the giant bag of mushrooms still is. "Here, take one of these bags and help me break down this thing. I can't carry this giant bag on my own."

"Sure."

I walk towards her and grab one of the spare sacks she set down. After a few seconds, we turn the large bag into two smaller ones.

I hoist the heavy sack over my shoulder. "Oof. Alright. I think I got it. Ready Marisa?"

She nods. "Yep. This way. Fine work today-da-ze! These should last me a while."

Marisa leads, and we leave the clearing to go back to her house. I still can't help but wonder how she can navigate this mess of a forest. I don't think I will ever truly understand Gensokyo.

Still, it was an interesting morning. The sun is still only rising into the middle of the sky. I have plenty of time to search for these people that Marisa has told me about. I have a new set of goals here now. I feel somewhat eased by planning things out like I used to. I know what I'm doing here, and I take a small comfort in that.

Soon, I will be on my way, but for now I am content in returning these Mushrooms to Marisa.

Marisa has been a great help to me. She is a little strange, even for a witch, but she has a good heart. I really wouldn't mind meeting a few more people like her; though I doubt I will. Thanks to her, I'm making some progress. I owe a lot to this young woman.

Today with Marisa was easy, but I have much to do yet. I will no doubt encounter trouble on the road ahead in my quest to hunt down the Nightcaster.

But before I can start looking for her, I have a doll maker to visit.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

In this one I go a bit more into the kind of person Marisa is. Originally, I was going to have a little more crazy in her, but honestly I kind of like the way this turned out. Granted she's still a little strange in her own way, I let her be a more casual and realistic character this time. I kind of get tired of her showing up as a complete nutbar in a lot of fan fics (not that that's bad, I just see it a lot) so I thought I would try something different. I think even in cannon she could be considered strange at best, but certainly not to a fault.

And then I set up the next few chapters of the story by lining out a list of people he needs to visit. I don't expect this part to be completely linear and predictable of course, but I do need to have some direction. I hope this beginning arc is an interesting start. I think this will allow for some interesting encounters and plot devices. I want to visit (or in some cases for me revist) a lot of Gensokyo and write about a lot of people, but I still need a logical reason for doing so in the story, and I think this was a smart way to do so.

So, thank you again for reading. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Your fortune ends Slayer. The enemy is quick to imperil the weak.  
**

* * *

The bag of collected mushrooms makes a soft thud as I prop it against the corner of the store room in Marisa's home.

"Alright. That should be the last of that. Right?"

Marisa nods. "Yep. Good pick today. Thanks for the help."

With that Marisa spins around and starts for the door. "So, I said I'd help show you to one of my friends. Did you decide where you wanted to go-ze?"

"Yes. You mentioned something about a friend of yours who uses strange magic that may be able to help enchant my gun. Before I bother learning magic, I need to be able to defend myself. If she really can help me, then I would like to do that first." I reply.

"Ah. Alice then. That's no problem. She actually lives in the forest too. She lives just a little closer to the mountain than my place. We'll be there in no time-da-ze!" She cheers.

_Confident as always. Good to see you out of that little slump from earlier._

Marisa leads the way out the door. "Alright. Out. I gotta lock it."

I follow her out into the mid-day light. As I pass through Marisa closes the door and waves a hand across it. The door clicks as it is magically locked. It seems magic is still used for mundane things here too.

_Hm…_

People who dabble in magic in my world, those who risk the law, are usually only able to do small things. Unlock a door, move a box, steal a purse, never anything special. Things like conjuring matter or energy requires a great deal of skill that most do not have.

Originally, when I was still an engineering student, I was interested in magic. Special metals like nercomium and adamantite only occur in magic, and contain wondrous properties when applied to work. I was ready to pioneer an age of new magically enhanced machines as one of a new generation of engineers.

But that was when I was younger. I've seen what magic can do to people; how it can destroy. Demons, magicians, and undead have made me wary of the supernatural. I would not seek to use it if I did not have to.

Hopefully, my quest will not see me corrupted like those I have seen.

"…ey? You ok back there? You're spacing out-ze."

I blink. I did not realize I was drifting.

I quickly recompose myself. "Yes. Sorry. Thinking about other things right now."

I take a look around. We're still in the middle of the forest.

Marisa, who was giving me a concerned look, resumes leading. "So like I was saying. Alice is a good friend of mine. She's a little standoffish to people she doesn't know, but I think you'll get along with her if I help introduce you."

I begin to become curious about this girl."I see. You also mentioned something about… doll making?"

"Yeah. Kind of a weird habit turned signature style. Alice always loved dolls, and she never grew out of it. When she became a full-fledged magician youkai she put everything she had into her doll making-ze. She uses magic through her dolls now, and can make them do anything. She can cook, clean, cast magic, fight enemies, and even make them talk. It's really cool." She clarifies for me.

"Interesting…" I slowly reply. "You seem to know her pretty well."

"You bet-ze!" She proudly exclaims. "Me and Alice been friends since we were kids. Well, we kinda got off to a rough start, but things starting pickup up eventually. Known her for years now."

She slowly starts to look down as she ponders. "Hmm. I just hope she'll help you. Again, she's not kind on strangers. Bad habit of hers. She never really was the same after she left Makai."

_Hm? _"Makai? What's that?"

"Oh. Some other place in Gensokyo. It's sort of like Gensokyo, but just a little different. Makai has all kinds of weird youkai and stuff there. Alice used to live there Shinki, but she moved out a couple a years ago. Getting between here and Makai isn't a small thing, so whatever happened must've been really important." She says in a low voice.

_Another realm of magic? Hmm. That complicates things. I may need to expand my search to this Makai place if the Nightcaster decides to move there. But if passage isn't easy then I may still have time to find her in Gensokyo first. I will need to hurry before she can cause trouble here or there._

"Marisa? How much further is Alice from here?" I ask.

"Just right here-ze." She casually replies.

Marisa points ahead through the forest's trees. The forest is becoming darker and the sun is starting to fall, but I strain my eyes to see a building ahead. A fair house with two stories and a small third story tower on one side. It nearly doubles Marisa's house and store in size, and a clean white paint schematic is much neater than Marisa's.

_Alice lives here? Strange to see such a nice place amidst the dark of the forest._

"Come on. I'll introduce you."

Marisa quickens towards the front door and I follow behind her. The house rises over us as we both step onto the small front step leading up to the door.

Then, Marisa grabs the door knob and casts the door open.

"Alice! I'm coming in-ZE!" She exclaims while marching through the door and into the entryway.

I'm shocked at the brazen action. _What on earth? Does she own the place? I seriously hope that they are this friendly with each other._

I hesitate for a second before following Marisa inside. I don't know if this is a proper way to introduce myself to someone who may or may not help me, but Marisa has already gone in, and I don't want to wait outside the door alone.

I step through into the entryway and stop there. Marisa is on the far end, already lounging in a chair. Marisa is just smiling as she relaxes in Alice's home.

_Marisa…_

As I slowly step into the room, I hear soft footsteps coming down from a staircase around the corner to my right. Following the steps down is a voice.

A cool young woman's voice speaks in a frustrated tone. "Marisa, honestly! I know I told you that you can visit whenever you want but that doesn't mean you can barge in like you live here! A house is a place of safety and privacy and you disturb it by slamming open the door like this is public property! What if some crook got the idea to come in here and steal from me because of you? What if some man snuck up on me to fulfill his sick perverse desires on me while I went to get dressed from a shower like now?"

_W-what?_

A soft footstep lands on the bottom step. A willowy figure whirls around the corner right in front of me. She barely covers herself with a small towel as she makes her way towards across the room towards a hall in the back.

Marisa is still grinning at me and the fact that I have not yet been noticed.

"Hey Alice. Got a visitor-ze." She says as she points towards me.

_Marisa what are you doing! I thought you said you would introduce me not humiliate me!_

Before I can move away the undressed Alice turns back to face me. Her quick movement causes her towel to…

_Ah! No!_

On instinct I turn away, blinding myself with my arm before I see any more. "A-ah! I'm sorry ma'am I-"

"AAAAH!"

With a single shriek and a rush of footsteps Alice leaves the room. A door slamming in the distance indicates she has shut herself in somewhere.

I slowly look back up; assuring myself there is nothing there. Nothing except that infernal witch.

"Marisa! This isn't what I had in mind about introductions! She probably hates me now!" I shout.

She pushes herself out of the chair. "Ah, come on. Just a little joke. I finally got a guy to come into Alice's home! I had to do that at least once in my lifetime."

"Marisa you idiot! You've made me out to be some pervert!" I roar in anger.

"Hey, you stood there. You could've moved-ze"

_Ugh. T-true._

"Alice is pretty cute huh?" The witch teases.

"Marisa, I'm warning you…" I growl; both angry and embarrassed.

She just shrugs it off. "Ah, lighten up Joseph. Just a practical joke."

_Grrr! I can't believe she would do that to me! I better be careful with my words now. I hope I still have a chance of getting her help… Damn it Marisa!_

A few seconds of awkward tension pass before footsteps, firm booted ones, briskly make their way back towards us.

Alice spins around the corner from the back hall now dressed in a blue dress with a small white cape around her shoulders. Bright pink ribbons are fixed around her waist and neck, and her blonde hair is now topped with a red hairband.

She glares at me with furious blue eyes. "You have thirty seconds human…"

_Ah, crap… _"I-I-I… er… u-um. M… ma'am, I am truly sorry for the intrusion. The truth is I came to see you-"

"Yes, clearly." She snaps back.

_This is not going well._

I do my best to continue. "My name is Joseph Mateba. I'm an outsider-"

She interrupts again. "Well a woman's privacy is the same in Gensokyo as it is out there… twenty seconds human."

_Would you please listen! _"I need your help-"

"What you need is a doctor to help you with that twisted perverted head of yours."

"I-"

"And what makes you think I'm going to help you? You come into my home unannounced, spy on me while I am undressed, and then have the nerve to stand around and waste my time with your foolish requests? Five seconds. _Start running._" She says as her hands begin to cackle with power.

"Marisa say something!" I angrily demand.

Marisa has been chuckling this entire time. But at my last request she finally stands up and places a hand on Alice's shoulder to stop her.

"Oh… hahaha. That was too funny-ze. But really Alice, this Joseph guy really needs your help with something. Hear him out would ya?" She says from behind Alice.

Alice shifts her anger to her. She stares at her for a second before giving an angry sigh.

"This was your fault wasn't it?" She says to the witch.

"Yup." Marisa says with a smile.

"Marisa… " Alice groans.

Marisa meets her frustration with a cheesy grin.

Alice glances between me and her for a few seconds before slowing down. She closes her eyes and takes a few cool down breaths before looking back up at me. The red in her face fades, and her eyes are now more relaxed.

She speaks much more calmly now; almost monotone. "Alright. Fine. Explain yourself, you have my ear."

I begin again. "I-"

"Ten minutes or you're out." She adds with a slight warning in her voice.

"Of-"

"And please, refrain from using ma'am to refer to me. My name is Alice Margatroid." She interrupts again.

Marisa steps in. "He's just like that around new people. But really Alice, let him talk would ya?"

Alice remains silent, giving her no acknowledgement.

_Right. Here we go. _"I need your magical expertise. I heard from Marisa that you are skilled with unusual magic, and may know something about enchanting. See, I have this pistol here that I brought with me from the outside world. I've quickly learned that normal weapons cannot harm youkai, and I was wondering if you could help me fix that."

I pull out my pistol and hold it to her for her to see.

Alice nods to herself. "I see. Interesting. I don't think I've ever been asked that before. But, you are correct; partially. Things like impacts and force apply to both magic and non-magic, but things like laws of nature and physics won't work on magic. If your weapon lacks any distinct force or destructive power than it will not work against a magical being. In a world like Gensokyo, I doubt you'll find anyone weak enough to be harmed by such a weapon."

_Ah, just as I thought. _"Can you help me with it though?"

"Yeah Alice, can you give him a hand? He's really got nothing to go on here-ze." Marisa adds in.

She hesitantly agrees. "Since Marisa really does seem to approve of you… I suppose. It would take little effort for me to apply a small token spell to give it enough magical attribute needed to surpass the line of reality and magic, and make it inflict damage again. I won't need but a few minutes."

_Yes! Perfect!_ "Thank you Ms. Margatroid."

"But, I will warn you, that I have never done this before. I don't know how well it will really work. It may not at all." She adds.

"I'm fine with that. Any effort is better than none at all." I reply.

"Very well. Come upstairs with me." She says as she walks past me back towards the stairs.

Marisa gets up out of the chair. "Hey, I'm actually gonna head out now that you two are getting along. I gotta get to those mushrooms. I still have to sort them."

Alice does not look at her, and simply waves dismissively. "Fine. Bye."

Marisa waves enthusiastically back. "Bye Alice! Catch you later!"

_I can't believe these two are friends…_

As Marisa passes by me she brushes against my side on her way to the door. She leans into me and slips something into my pocket.

"Here's a little something for that mess. Good luck-ze." She whispers as she passes me and heads outside.

"Goodbye Marisa." I quietly return.

Marisa closes the door behind her. I don't know when I will see her again, but it was good to meet her. She saved my life, and her information will surely save it a million times more. I owe a lot to the young witch. I've come to associate witchcraft with foul magic and evil powers, but Marisa did not give me that impression. A nice surprise for me actually. I get tired of dealing with monsters.

I hope I will see her again.

"Joseph, are you coming up? Don't make me wait." Alice says from the top of the stairs.

_Right. Time to move on. I just hope Alice does not harbor any intentions to kill me anymore._

I turn to the stairs and climb up after Alice. Once I reach the top and walk to the end of the hall I find a rather unusual sight.

Dolls. Everywhere. This room is full of them.

The dolls are eerily lifelike, made from something no tailor can produce. They're all dressed in fashionable and extremely well detailed dresses of varying colors. They sit in all places around the room. Shelves and tables give rest to countless female dolls. The numerous eyes all seem to stare at me, giving a creepy atmosphere.

_Hm? Did that one move or was it just me?_

Alice quickly confirms my eyes to be correct. With a wave of her hand a blue dressed doll with long blonde hair hops up and starts to fly across the room towards her.

_Ok… that's weird._

Alice walks towards a small round table with some crafting materials on it and takes a seat at the chair. With a quick shove she pushes aside the materials, leaving only a book on it. Alice opens the book and turns through the pages as she searches for the spell.

She says nothing to me. The doll familiar stands on the table and waits. Everything is quiet.

The silence quickly begins to put me on edge, so I risk an idle conversation. "So… You are friends with Marisa."

"When she doesn't barge in and invite strangers to view me while I go change, yes." She says with no emotion.

_Ah… _"I would like to apologize again for the intrusion Ms. Margatroid. Had I known, I would never have come in at such a time."

Alice gives an agitated huff. "Well, I suppose having the bathroom on one floor and bedroom on another was bound to cause something like that eventually. "

She stops and looks up at me, staring at me with determined eyes. "You didn't really 'see me' did you?"

"O-of course not. I assure you your privacy was not violated in any way." I quickly stammer out.

"Don't ever lie to me again. You're terrible at it. And stop being so polite. Alice is fine." She says with another huff as she looks back down to her book.

_Ugh… _

It was a lie, but I was only trying to be respectful. This girl certainly doesn't suffer foolishness very well. I don't see how Marisa could ever get along with her.

"Here it is." She says as she sets the book down.

I peer forward at the book, curious as to what it says. But as I do, I meet Alice's hand.

"This book is not for human eyes." She says as she shoves me back.

"Sorry." I mutter. I should have known better. Demons can be stingy about their secrets.

I look at Alice while she focuses on reading the passage. She has some kind of unearthly presence about her. She is definitely a magician. A youkai. A demon. Yet she looks so innocent. Demons I know are powerful corrupted monsters, but she is just a girl; no older than Marisa. I wonder just how much power one must have to maintain such a youthful and unimposing appearance. It makes me nervous not being able to gauge a creature's strength by appearances anymore.

Alice does not meet my eyes as I analyze her, and continues to finish the passage of her book.

With a few intricate movements of her fingers, the dolls around the room begin to respond. Five more blue dressed dolls join the one on the table, forming a tight circle.

"Place your weapon in the middle here. I will begin the spell." She says.

It takes a few seconds to unload my gun, something it was not designed to do naturally, but I soon work open the gun and empty the bullets. I place my weapon on the middle of the table to be enchanted. One of the dolls breaks the circle to give a pint-sized kick to the gun to push it closer towards the center before the spell begins.

Alice mutters a single unintelligible word and places her hand on the doll closest to her. Light forms on the doll, and begins to spread to the next one. Following clockwise, the six little dolls begin to glow with white light. Each of the dolls then begins to channel the light towards the gun.

_Oh I hope this works._ I nervously think to myself as my weapon is bathed in unnatural light.

Then, all at once, the light ceases. Everything goes quiet again. The dolls are left standing looking at my gun, which appears to be unchanged.

"There. That should do it." She says as she waves away the dolls.

Slowly, I reach for the gun and pick it back up. It feels fine. I reload bullets back into it and it responds the same way.

"Don't be surprised." Alice says when she sees my confused look. "I said it was only a token spell. I just changed its durability some. It should have an effect on youkai again. Just be sure to test it first."

"I see. Thank you Alice." I respectfully reply back.

Alice stands up. "Now, I have given you much _much _more than I should have. I'm happy to help a man in need, but If you are done then please leave."

I nod and quickly begin to make my way to the stairs. "Yes, thank you. I will not be bothering you again. Thank you for your time Alice."

Alice does not reply back. Instead, she follows me down the stairs. I begin to become confused as she follows me through the entry and outside.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

Alice does the same thing Marisa did and locks her door with a quick wave.

"Going out. I need to go to the human village for more sewing material." She says as she starts to walk past me.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to know…" _Ahh, what was that name again? Err… right!_ "Know a librarian by the name of Patchouli?"

"Yes. She lives in the Scarlet Devil Mansion." Alice replies.

"Can… Can you show me where? I'm afraid I can't navigate this forest." I ask again.

"I thought you weren't going to bother me again?" Alice says with a hint of anger.

"I-"

"Quiet… I'll show you out to the road and that's _it._ If you ask me for help again, I'll kill you. Am I clear Joseph?" Alice says with much more anger.

I quickly shake my head yes. "Yes. Perfectly. Thank you."

She motions for me to follow again, saying nothing more. I take care not to get too her. Her opinion of me is very low as of right now.

Still, I have a lot to owe her. In spite an awkward meeting, Alice has done me a great favor. If her magic works as she hoped, then I have managed to regain my offensive edge in Gensokyo.

Neither of us part any words as we walk through the forest. Seconds turn to minutes of silence, and the sun begins to sink.

But just as the sun falls behind the distant mountain, we break the edge of the forest. I seem to have come out from the opposite edge of the forest, as the flower hill is not visible.

Not too far ahead is a road. A narrow dirt path next to the grassy plains beyond. I follow Alice towards the road and step on.

Alice points in one direction. "Follow that road and turn right where it splits. It should circle towards the mountain again and lead to a lake. The mansion on the edge of the lake is the place you're looking for. Don't confuse it with that run-down mansion near the forest side of the lake. The Scarlet Devil Mansion is opposite the forest. It's two hours walking."

_Perfect._"Thank you again."

"And just in case you're curious, if you keep going straight you'll end up in Muenzuka. Turn left and you'll go the Hakurei shrine; also a good place to stop if you need help. The other direction leads to the human village, which is where I'm going." She finishes while switching her pointing finger to the other direction.

"Aah! I'm sorry Miss, please don't hurt me!" A voice cries out.

Alice looks back and realizes she's pointing right at an elderly man. He must have been heading this way, and Alice failed to notice him.

Alice sighs and lowers her arm. "Never mind that. What are you doing here? Humans should not be out at night."

The man takes a deep breath and bows respectfully. "Apologies Miss. I was on my way to the Hakurei shrine to pray for good fortune. A terrible tragedy has struck our village just this hour."

_Tragedy? Some disaster? I hope the Nightcaster has not already taken to attacking innocents._

"What tragedy?" Alice impatiently asks.

"Our very own Myouren Temple has been struck by thieves! The highest priestess Byakuren Hijiri has lost her scroll!"

"That's not thievery, that's idiocy. The Myouren temple has had a history of losing things haven't they?" Alice says with a groan.

The man shakes his head. "No no! I saw it with my own eyes! Claw marks on the high priestess! Some foul creature did it. Some creature that moved like a shadow snuck past the temple's guardians and struck down the priestess while she prayed in her own chambers. It's terrible!"

Alice glares at the man. "If you go to their temple then why are you going to the Hakurei shrine?"

The man looks down. "I… umm… that is…"

"Faithless coward. Go home before you get attacked by a youkai." Alice condemns.

_…_

I walk past the two of them and start heading to the human village. Alice takes a second to notice before she starts following after me.

"What are you doing Joseph? Your destination is the other way." Alice says from behind.

"Change in objectives. I'm going to the Myouren Temple to speak with this Byakuren about her attackers." I say in a low voice.

_I don't know for sure it's her, but I have to check. I need to be sure that I'm not missing some move of the Nightcaster. This sounds like something she would do. If that scroll had any kind of magic she could use or twist around for her own gain she would go for it.  
_

"Why?" Alice asks, somewhat frustrated that she has to spend more time with me.

I think for a moment before failing to come up with a reasonable answer. "It's… not important to you. I just wanted to see."

"You shouldn't stick your nose in other people's business." Alice warns me.

I ignore her. "I won't know if it's not my business if I don't check."

"Ugh! Fine! Do whatever you want! Just don't follow me!" Alice complains.

I silently agree and press on. I work myself to a quick jog and hurry forward.

"Wait, don't run away from me you idiot! That's rude you know!" Alice says as she starts to magically hover to keep up with me. I let her catch up and continue forward. I quickly jog down the road towards the village with Alice reluctantly in tow.

The human village is now my new destination. Might and magic can wait. With each step I grow more and more fearful that the Nightcaster has begun some trick of hers. I have to investigate this attack.

Lights from the village begin to emerge as the sun fades. I don't have too much further to go. Soon, I will get to the bottom of this.

Either it's nothing but some more Gensokyo strangeness. Or I'm already falling behind my enemy's plans. I hope for the former…

But expect the latter.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

I had a lot of fun writing about Alice. In this story she is more of a quiet antisocial person, whereas I previously interpreted her as emotional and impulsive. I wanted Alice to clash with Joseph rather than it have them both be quiet individuals, so I gave her a no-nonsense attitude and the most awkward introduction I could manage. I hope this didn't come off as too silly (although it was meant to be humorous to an extent).

And now we move the story to the human village an Myouren people. It's time to start working towards the story's first real challenge for Joseph. I've talked about some of Josephs potential, but now I will put this character to the test against some real opposition.

Thank you again for reading my story. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**What a terrible flaw you have Slayer. Death surrounds you tonight. There will be bloodshed.**

* * *

The human village emerges at the end of the road. Its lights stand out in the dark of night.

I slow my pace down as I approach the edge of the village. A large open gate marks the edge of the village, and beyond I can see stores and countless people.

_Hmm. Just like a little town._

Alice, who has still been following me, moves past me towards the village. "Well, we're here. I'm going to go do what I need to. If you truly insist on finding the temple, it's on the other side of this part of the village; in between the markets and the farms. Just keep going straight down this road and you'll find it."

I nod. "Thanks."

"Goodbye for now. I'm sure we'll meet again…" She says without cheer.

With that, Alice leaves. She moves forwards and to the left; disappearing into the crowd.

_Hmm… That's that I guess…_

Alice certainly wasn't kind to me. Granted we had a rough start, she still kept a cold attitude towards me the entire time. Still, she at least went through the trouble of helping me and guiding me out of the forest. I owe a lot to her.

I look down at the pistol at my side.

_Hopefully this thing works. If this attack is who I think it is then I may need it. The Nightcaster is fond of using summoned minions to do her dirty work, and they certainly can put up a fight._

_But first, I should get to the temple. I don't know anything for sure yet._

I briskly walk through town and down this center road. The dirt path cuts to cobblestone as it leads through the town.

It's night, but not quite midnight by my guess. The town is still busy with late night shoppers and party-goers. Small stalls and open establishments busy themselves with patrons. Bars sell alcoholic beverages, restaurants sell food, and tradesmen sell their crafted goods. It's a busy place.

The sight of food makes my stomach growl. I quickly begin to grow weary.

_Ugh… I need to eat…_

I'm used to traveling on low energy for long periods of time, but food and water have been scarce for me here. I had a drink of water and another strange mushroom when I reached the Marisa's house, but other than that I haven't eaten much.

I continue to press on, but I don't make it too much further. My pace reduces to a shuffling walk and my body begins to ache. I'm worn out. I manage to stagger to the side of a building before slumping to the ground.

_Mmph… I won't be able to go on like this, especially if I have to deal with one of the Nightcaster's tricks. I'm starving. Even another mushroom would do me good. Anything really… _

Something clicks in my head. _That reminds me…_

On her way out of Alice's home, Marisa slipped something in my pocket. I never checked it though. I had almost forgotten about it given how light it is.

I sit upright and take out something soft and wrapped in paper. I unwrap it to find a miniature loaf of bread.

_Food! Ah, thank you Marisa! _I silently cheer.

I don't know how she got this, probably straight form Alice's kitchen knowing her, but I'm glad she gave it to me. She must have noticed that I had not been eating and thought to see me through the day. I have yet another reason to thank her now.

I quickly gobble down the bread. The taste is uninteresting, but it is good nonetheless. The energy from this small hunk of bread quells my hunger, and I can now focus again. I still feel a little tired and weary, but I don't let it stop me from standing up and resuming my journey.

_Much better. That should keep me going a little longer._

Now that hunger is pushed aside, I quicken my pace forward through the town and towards the temple.

As I walk, I notice something strange though. There are youkai here.

Demons and humans walk together down this busy street. Supernatural creatures seem to be visiting restaurants and shops just as often as humans are, and some youkai even run a few of their own stores.

I can't help but feel a little nervous. That I should be trying to do something. Yet, everything is calm. The mood is almost festive. This seems to be a normal occurrence.

_These people aren't my targets. I can't fight the whole town just because I'm a Slayer. I need to be careful in this world. I need to focus. I'm here for one thing and one thing only…_

_Ah, I think that's the temple. Seems to be a bit of commotion there alright. The old man said it had happened this hour. I suppose they are still trying to figure out what happened._

In the distance is a temple structure. Standing away from the bustle of the town at the end of a long paved road is a great gate. Behind the gate is an expansive temple grounds and temple. A few people seem to be gathered around there.

I briskly walk down the passage and towards the temple. I pass several groups of chattering people as I walk towards the front gates of the temple itself. The people seem to talk nervously of the break-in and attack. Whatever happened, it must have been pretty severe.

As I draw near I notice something at the doors. Two people, a young girl and an unusual looking elderly man, block the way in. The girl is dressed in a white dress with a blue hooded shroud; matching her strange shade of blue hair. The man next to her is... an unusual shade of greyish pink.

I quickly realize that it is not a man, but a creature or conjuration in the shape of a man. His face is elderly, but his chest and arms are powerful and muscular beyond belief. The rest of his body below his upper chest is a mess of swirling matter. He almost looks like he's made of clouds.

Yet even though he appears formless, his presence is intimidating. He towers over the short hooded girl as he stands next to her defending the door.

I slowly approach them, and the girl steps forward to meet me.

"Sorry, no visitors. If you're here to pray then you'll have to wait a moment until everything is cleaned up. If you're here to gawk then go ask someone else about it. We don't need people coming in here for no reason." The girl asserts in a kind tone.

I shake my head. "No of course not. I was actually wondering if I could go in to examine this attack and ask the priestess here about her attackers. I may be an expert on the subject."

She crosses her arms. "Expert? May be? I doubt that. You look more like a ruffian to me; dressed up in a ragged jacket and dusty clothes. How are you an expert on youkai attacks?"

_Hmm…_

"I am; in a sense at least. I'm a youkai hunter of sorts. I think this may be a… er… particular kind of youkai. I want to see the damage to determine if that's the case. I may be able to help." I explain.

The girl looks down. "Hmm… I don't know. You seem a little strange. I don't know if I can really trust you. I understand you want to help, but I can't just let anyone in at a time like this. I don't think… Hm? What's that Unzan?"

She appears to be listening to the cloud person. He doesn't seem to be speaking anything though. He opens his mouth just slightly, but the only thing that comes out is a whirling breeze, not even a whisper.

Yet, she seems to understand. After a few seconds of unintelligible wind noises, she looks back to me.

"Well… Unzan says you might be who you say you are. He has a good eye for this kind of thing, so if you can pass his eyes, then I'll let you through. Ah, wait! Only to look though. Don't walk around the temple or bug anyone else in there ok? If you can't help, then out you go. Got it?" She replies with a hasty warning at the end.

"Yes. Thank you. I won't need but a few minutes with her." I politely reply.

"Ok, come in. Unzan, can you watch the door for just a few minutes? I need to introduce him." She says.

The creature does not reply; at least not in a way I can hear. The girl nods in confirmation at the silent reply and proceeds to open the door. I nervously step past the goliath guardian and into the temple building.

As I step in, the atmosphere begins to quiet. The air in here is not a peaceful one that I would expect. There is a tension among the small group of people in the middle of this prayer room. The statue deity on the far end of the room is ignored as a small group of people huddle together and chatter about the attack.

The guardian girl leads me to the group, halting me as she goes to grab their attention.

"Pardon me everyone, but I have someone here. He claims to be an expert." She says with a wave.

The people turn towards me. There are three of them, and all of them look faintly suspicious of me.

One is a tall young woman with blonde hair in a red dress with a fur sash. She's bearing a bejeweled lantern at her side; clearly some magic relic of hers. She has a harder face than the other two. She looks like some kind of warrior priestess to me.

On the other side is a girl dressed completely differently; a white shirt and short pants. She has black hair and soft aqua eyes. Looking at her gives me a chill for some reason. She certainly isn't who she appears to be.

Between them is a tall mature woman with purple hair that mysteriously shifts to brown at the tips. She is wearing an open cloak with belts across the front over a plain white dress. She looks disheveled and pained, but still bows politely to me.

"Welcome to the Myouren Temple. I'm sorry you had to come at such a troubling time." She says with a sweet voice. She has an almost angelic presence to me. I feel a bit more at ease now.

Although I am still surprised to see a demon in a shrine. It seems Gensokyo's strangeness knows no bound.

The blonde girl steps between me and her before I can greet her back. "Ichirin, why did you bring this man here? I thought we didn't want anyone bothering Byakuren until we get this resolved."

"Shou, please. Why he is here does not matter. Now that he is in our temple, we must be courteous. He is our guest now. You should never treat guests in the temple with contempt. You know this Shou. Now please let him speak. If he is an expert then we can certainly use his help. Ichirin, you can go back. Thank you."

"Of course." Ichirin says. She does so and closes the door behind her.

I stand there staring at the blonde girl who I assume is Shou. She does not yield. Her fierce eyes seem to warn me to leave…

"Shou, stand aside." The middle woman says again.

At that her eyes soften. With a reluctant sigh, she steps back. I approach the injured woman.

_This must be Byakuren. _"I assume you were the priestess who was attacked. My name is Joseph. I was wondering if I could maybe ask a little about your attackers."

Byakuren slowly nods. "Certainly. My name is Byakuren Hijiri. Yes, I was attacked… Unfortunately. It seems my attackers sought my Sorcerer's Sutra Scroll. The magic in it is inaccessible to strangers, but most won't know that at a glance; only that it is powerful. It was only a matter of time before the lure of power would promote some thief. I should have been more careful. I let myself be overtaken."

"Master, please don't blame yourself. It is the thief's fault. We will find whoever it was and bring them to justice." Shou reassures.

'_Thief'? Just one then? Strange. _"Are you sure it was just one? Did you see?"

Byakuren sighs. "I'm sorry, I don't remember much. I was praying in my room when… I heard something like a snake's hiss. Before I could even get up something hopped onto my back and scratched me. The pain was terrible. I fell over, and began to black out. The last thing I heard was another clawing noise on the ground next to me where I set the scroll down. Shou overheard that and came to check on me that same minute. I'm sorry that doesn't help."

Shou sighs as well. "The thief was gone when I arrived. That was about… hmm… an hour and a half ago. If only I had been quicker…"

Byakuren puts a hand on Shou. "Easy, my disciple. You did fine. You could not have possibly known. Thank you again for your aid."

_Only an hour and a half? If this is what I think it is then we may have time to find them after all. But one last thing to check…_

"You were scratched? Can I see?" I ask her.

The black haired girl steps up to me and pushes me back a little. "Whoa! Not cool man. We can't let you go ogling over the priestess like that just 'cause you want to."

Shou agrees. "Yes. I already have a servant on the matter; searching for the scroll that is. There really is no need-"

"Shou! Murasa! Please!" Byakuren forcefully interrupts. "Let this man do his work. I feel like I can trust him. He seems to know what to look for. If he came for harm he would surely have done so. Let me show him…"

The two girls reluctantly step back. Byakuren slowly turns around to show me her back.

I realize why she looks so disheveled now. The back of her outfit down to her waist is almost completely gone. Forcefully torn away to reveal her bare back. Her sleeves and a few strips around her waist are the only thing keeping her clothes on her. I can see why her two disciples would be defensive of her like this.

Yet this confirms my fears. Six large claw marks run down her back; caused by a pair of three-pronged talons. Her wounds are nearly treated, but the injury is still clear.

_Those are fatal wounds! How on earth did she survive getting cut like that? This Byakuren probably isn't any ordinary magician. That is some severe scratching._

_But… that means one thing…_

There's just one type creature in the Nightcaster's array of summons that would do that. A wicked beast made from conjured dead matter and brought to life by necromancy that wields claws of steel and a bestial rage.

_The Flawed. I knew it. Damn you Nightcaster. She's sent her minions to wreak havoc here and steal the magic in the scroll. She's already taken to causing trouble. Never one to waste time…_

_But there may be time to find them yet. You tried to slip a fast one past me, but I won't let that happen Nightcaster!_

I step back. "I think I know what is going on. Tell me; are there any forests or rocky hills nearby? Someplace where someone could hide?"

Shou thinks. "Hmm… The bamboo forest is about two hours walking, but you would get lost just as easy as you would hide. The Genbu Marsh maybe? No, too many kappa live there. It would have to be the forest. But… we've already tried there. There's no way. I got to the bamboo forest in half an hour flying. I would've gotten there first."

_Hmm… They surely would have been found then. Like her other minions, the Flawed are slow and clumsy outside of combat or orders. No, there has to be some other hiding spot._

_Someplace they could reach quickly before they were caught…_

_Someplace nearby maybe…_

I quickly ask another question. "Change the subject. What about hiding places in general? If I was a crook and needed to hide right away, what would be the best place? Something close and where people don't usually go. A quiet place where someone could hide until the search blows over."

"Not the markets." Murasa responds first. "Already checked it over. No way they'd slip through at this hour. Waaaay too busy!"

"The farmers are tending their crops every hour of every day now for the harvest. A thief would surely be routed out there. It would not be anywhere in the village." Shou adds.

Byakuren looks down, deep in thought. "The cemetery. They would go there. There are countless tombs there that they could use to shelter from prying eyes. With how often it gets visitors, they could be there for days unnoticed."

_Cemetery? _"What cemetery?"

"There is a cemetery behind this very temple. After a recent incident, the temple cemetery was considered unsafe, and we usually tell people not to go there anymore. There is a smaller, safer graveyard near the edge of town instead. Our cemetery is now abandoned and haunted." She explains.

"I thought you said you checked the cemetery." Shou says to Murasa.

Murasa looks down sheepishly. "Umm… Well Byakuren tells me not to go because that zombie girl still hangs around there, and she eats ghost and stuff, so I kinda… you know… umm… ummmm… I skipped it! I'm sorry! Reallreallyreallyreally sorry! I didn't think they'd be there!"

Shou growls in anger. "You spineless little…"

"Shou calm down, now." Byakuren firmly orders. "You did well listening to me Murasa, thank you. The destination is clear now. The thief meant to hide out in the cemetery until we lost track of them, but that will not work now. Shou, take Nazrin and Joseph and deal with this for me. Bring this thief to justice"

Shou bows. "Immediately."

Shou then looks to me. "But must I really bring him too?"

"Trust me Shou, you'll need me." I reply.

She sighs. "Fine. Keep up with me then."

She then turns towards one of the side halls and calls out. "Nazrin! Nazrin are you still here?"

Almost instantly a girl appears. She is dressed in a solid gray casual dress. At first she looks normal enough, but she has something strange on her. She has two furry beast ears, big round ones, and a tail. Both are also gray, and match her gray hair. She's carrying two large angled rods that look like a scanning array back on my world.

_What on earth is this girl? She's definitely not human? Is she some kind of animal? Maybe like a were-beast?_

I lightly flick my own head.

_Argh, focus Joseph! _I angrily think. _Stop worrying about that and focus. The Nightcaster's minions mean to hide, but I will hunt them down._

The girl, who I assume is Nazrin, walks towards Shou and I. "What Master Shou? I'm still searching. I haven't found it yet, but I will. I guarantee it. I've already determined the location is somewhere near, but I need more time to figure out exactly how near."

"It's very near. But never mind that now." She replies with a dismissive wave. "We may have gotten a clue as to where the thief is. We're going to the graveyard. The scoundrel thinks to hide under our noses. We will give them a nasty surprise."

Nazrin nods. "Alright. I don't think I'm going to be able to divine the precise location of the scroll from here anyways. Lead the way Master."

Shou turns to the front door. "This way."

"Murasa… can you get me some more ointment? The pain is returning…" Byakuren weakly says as we head out the door and into the night.

Shou holds up her lantern, and it begins to emit a bright light. "Follow me. The graveyard is behind the temple."

Shou leads the way around the temple. Nazrin follows close behind me, making strange motions as she appears to scan the distance with her rod devices.

It takes just a few minutes to walk around to the back of the temple. The size of the building is quite impressive. I personally don't know much about religion, not even on my world, but there certainly weren't any religious institutions of this size back home.

_I wonder if faith will favor me tonight… _I idly think as we walk by.

The three of us soon reach the back of the building. A small path sits on the far end of the grounds. Shou heads for it, and me and Nazrin follow.

Shou looks back to me as she leads us down the quiet path. "Can you fight? There will inevitably danger ahead."

I check my pistol and knife, both still ready at my side. "Yes. Don't worry about me. I've had my share of danger."

"Fair enough. Don't get in the way though. I will not lose Byakuren's treasured scroll to any of your foolishness." She says as she turns her attention forward yet again.

_Gah! This girl is as bad as Alice! Does everyone hate me?_

"She's just a little touchy when there's trouble regarding the temple. You'll be fine. Just ignore her for now." Nazrin says with a sigh. She has the same haughty tone as her master, but her words are kinder.

I silently agree. _Thanks…_

Following Shou's light, we head to the graveyard. Under the light of the lantern I see tombs and graves all over. The graveyard is pretty impressive, if somewhat grim. The place has clearly fallen into disuse. The light from the lamp casts eerie shadows across the hallowed grounds.

I get a warning from my Slayer's senses. Instinctively I grab my pistol and scan the surroundings.

"What?" Shou asks. "Did you see anything?"

"No… but they're here. I know it." I say in a low voice.

Shou does not reply. Silent and cautious, she leads the way through the graveyard.

All is quiet until I begin to hear a hum.

"Ah! A treasure reading! The scroll is close!" Nazrin says. She holds her rods up again, and they begin to hum louder as she scans the graveyard.

_So it really is just like a scanning array. It seems she somehow is able to detect this scroll. _"Keep that up Nazrin. They may be near the scroll."

"They?" Shou doubtingly asks. "You seem insistent that there is more than one. How much do you know? You're just a human. You claim to be an expert on this, but as far as I'm concerned there was only one thief."

"It's more than one." I assert. "This isn't a youkai we're dealing with. These things are magically summoned familiars, created by a witch I'm after. They come from the darkest glyphs; formed from necrotic remains and black magic. This particular one, this claw wielding beast, is called a Flawed. They have a humanoid shape, but are shrunken and hunched over like a dog. Each hand has a claw as long as my arm; razor sharp. They're fast, aggressive, and very dangerous when they catch sight of someone. Each one can easily kill a man, and they hunt in groups."

"Ooh. Sounds dangerous."

That wasn't a voice I recognize.

Instantly, I spin around and am confronted with yet another girl.

She's dressed in loose fitting red shirt accompanied by a black skirt and casual blue cap on her faded blue hair. She has a strange worn-out paper draped over her right eye. Her other eye holds a dead look; as if she's not quite here.

Stranger still, her arms are extended towards me. At first, I thought she may be trying to grab me so I step back, but I soon realize she's just holding them there. Small twitches in her joints seem to indicate life, but she looks petrified.

No, more like dead. Her skin is so pale. She isn't human, and she doesn't look alive either.

Shou and Nazrin have similar reactions, but they quickly recompose themselves when the recognize her.

Shou sighs, frustrated by the shock she got. "Just that mindless guardian. What are you doing here? Isn't Miko already alive? Why are you still guarding this place?"

The undead girl continues to mindlessly stare at us. "Guard? Not guard… Nothing to guard anymore. Don't know what to do. What do you do?"

_What? _

Shou notices my confusion. "Ah, this is Yoshika Miyako. She's mostly mindless without her orders, and she doesn't seem to have anything to do right now. She might seem alive and bright at times, but she isn't really thinking of anything. Her brain is mostly rotted."

_So she is undead. Well, Gensokyo is certainly full of strange locals. An undead guardian girl with nothing to do. I fear just what I will meet next._

Shou turns to Yoshika. "Where is your master? That hermit girl."

"Gone. Away. Busy? No, bored? Can't remember. Back soon? Probably. Can't remember though. I wait. She'll return. Until then? Don't know. Can't remember much. Why you come?" She says with a tired voice.

_That doesn't make any sense._

Shou translates. "I think her master is fooling around and her servant doesn't know what to do. How disrespectful, to leave your servant all alone…"

I begin a suggestion, but am cut short instantly. "Maybe we can ask her about-"

"Yoshika, did anyone come to the graveyard just now? We're looking for someone." Shou demands.

"No one. I didn't see much today." She flatly responds.

Shou sighs. "Useless guardian…"

"But I'm not guarding." She responds again.

"You're still useless." Shou then turns to me. "Come, we have to keep searching."

She turns to Nazrin. "Do you still have the treasure signal?

Nazrin holds her rods up again, causing them to hum. "Yes. Still close. I think it's not too much further."

"Then let's keep going."

Shou begins to lead us deep into the graveyard. I try to follow, but am held back.

Yoshika throws her arms over me, awkwardly hugging me and rooting me in place. Her body is soft, but cold. The lack of any living noises from her chills me further.

I quickly duck and spin away from her; facing her again. Her dead eyes are distinctly set on me now.

"W-what do you want ghoul?" I say in a warning voice as I raise my gun towards her.

She slowly shuffles towards me. "Seiga… didn't feed me today…"

_What the? _"I am not food Yoshika! I'm a youkai hunter, and you do not want to try me right now!"

Shou quickly steps towards he when she realizes the commotion. She thrusts her lantern out towards the approach Yoshika. "Stand back. He is with us. I'll burn you to ash if you so much as touch him."

Yoshika stops. She bends forward a little and works her rigid arms down to her side. It takes her a second to work towards her pockets with her shoulders being so stiff, but she manages to draw something from her skirt.

A card.

_What is that?_

Shou laughs aloud. "A spell card? Really now? Hahaha! I wouldn't try that if I were you. It's three on one."

Yoshika still insists. "I want to eat. I get human if I win. You go if I lose."

_Some kind of magical spell? She means to challenge us then. _"Shou, we don't have time to be distracted with this pest, and I'm certainly not going to get eaten. Let's just put her down and get going."

"Hey…" Nazrin calls.

"I think you're right Joseph. We don't have time. Let's deal with this quickly." Shou says as her lamp begins to glow brightly.

Yoshika's bare arms begin to burn with a haunting aura as magic runs through her veins and to her fingertips. The card in her hand mysteriously cackles with energy as the power within threatens to break free. Whatever this 'spell card' is, it's certainly no toy. Some serious magic is about to be unleashed.

"Hey." Nazrin says a bit louder.

Yoshika begins to recite her spell. "Poison Nail: P-"

Nazrin shouts this time, interrupting all of us. "HEY! Something's coming!"

Silenced by her shout, all of us can clearly hear Nazrin's rods practically sing. Me and Shou stop out of concern, Yoshika out of confusion, and listen. The reading is very loud now.

"The scroll is practically right next to us." She whispers. "It's still moving closer. So whoever has it…"

"Must be getting really close." I finish for her.

Almost as if on cue, there is a shrieking hiss from a Flawed one. I quickly spin towards its direction only to see a shadow retreating behind a grave. A scraping of claws on stone prompts me to spin back around, but I only see Shou and the shadows behind her.

The priestess is also looking around. "What are these things? There must be more than one. They're fast too."

_Told you, you stubborn youkai… _"Keep looking .They have to get close to strike. Keep your guard up."

Me, Shou, and Nazrin shuffle closer together and continue to scan the shadows and graves. The number of hisses and rushing claws increases. They're all around us now, waiting to strike.

Yoshika, on the other hand, is just standing there. "What's happening? Something's here? Seeeeigaaaa? Is that yoooouuuu?"

Yoshika stupidly goes to one of the graves when she hears a clattering of metal claws behind it.

"Seeeeigaaaa… You forgot to feed meeeee…" She complains in her same tired tone.

I try to warn her. "Yoshika. Yoshika! That's not-"

Too late. A hunchbacked monster, about as tall as a child and with gray leathery skin, swings out from behind the grave. Wielding a massive three-pronged claw for a hand, it leaps out on its deformed peg-like legs and strikes Yoshika across the chest. There is a flesh shredding sound as the monster cuts her.

The Flawed one quickly follows up with another attack. It impales Yoshika in the gut with its other claw and uses her as a platform to boost itself up atop the gravestone from which it emerged. The entire maneuver takes all but half a second to accomplish.

It stands confidently on the grave and shrieks loudly at the three of us. A twisted battle cry.

I feel no fear though.

_Die!_

I waste not a second and raise my aim to it. A pull of the trigger and a bullet flies right into the Flawed one's leg. The monster falls over on itself and flops to the ground.

It tries to claw at the ground and pull itself back up, but I fire another round through its skull and finish it off. The creature slumps over; dead. The lifeless shell burns away in a rush of crimson flames as the spells binding the monster are released by its death.

Shou looks at the slimy ashes with both disgust and anger. "What idiot would summon that disgusting thing? This witch must be sick in the head."

"Or have some disgusting death fetish." Nazrin adds.

_She wasn't always like that…_

My attention then shifts to Yoshika. She's still standing in spite of clearly sustaining two killing blows. Slowly, she turns around towards the fallen monster. I can see her injuries are not bleeding. She has nothing to show for the attack other a tear in her shirt and a hole in her side. It seems undeath has some advantages.

"You're not Seiga…" Yoshika says to the remains, oblivious that the monster is dead and gone.

"Yoshika! Pay attention! These monsters aren't Seiga! They're here to hurt you!" I call to her, trying to convince her to do something that won't get her hurt again.

"Monsters? What monsters? I don't remember anything. Why are you here?" She flatly replies.

_Ugh! You clueless girl!_

"Just ignore her! Keep looking. There's more." Shou says.

"Master, look out!" Nazrin calls.

I quickly spin to face the threat right as Nazrin meets it. A Flawed one reaches the beast girl and raises its claws at her, but Nazrin strikes back first.

"Ha!" With a quick twirl of her rods she clobbers the Flawed one and forces it back. With another twirl, she sends out a bolt of magic energy and destroys the monster in a single powerful blast. Her quick counterattack saved Shou from being blindsided while she was talking to me.

_Good save Nazrin. _"Good. Just like that."

I scan the surrounding shadows again. The fiends quickly dance in the shadows, trying to catch us off guard.

_There's got to be quite a few of them. The Flawed usually travel in large groups, and they're could be more than one group._

_But I'll kill them all. I will not let these conjured horrors walk the earth. I'll destroy every last one of them to get to their master. I've got enough bullets for every one of you abominations! _I think while reloading my gun.

Shou holds her lantern high, shining magic light over the graveyard. "I'll burn you monsters to ash! No one crosses the Myouren Temple and goes away unpunished!"

"I'm at your side master. I'll help you kill these freaks." Nazrin chimes in.

"Seeeeigaaaa… is that you over there?" Calls out while walking around aimlessly.

All three of us ignore the clueless zombie while we focus on the fight surrounding us. Wicked monsters made from the Nightcaster stalk us in this graveyard, but me and two youkai are ready to meet them. She will lose this fight. I will see to it myself if I have to.

_There you are…_

A shadow behind one of the graves peers out at me. Its metal claw glistens in the light. It's going to make a rush at me.

I take a deep breath and prepare for the next imminent attack.

"Alright you two. Get ready, here they come!"

* * *

A/N

Thank you again for reading my latest chapter. One of my longer ones. Although this note will push the word count over 6000, I usually don't write more than 6000 words per chapter.

Also, special thanks to my followers, favorites, and reviewers. You're all a big motivation to me. I know 10 is a small number, but I was ecstatic when I got a 10th alert request this early in my story. Those quiet favs and follows are big morale boosters for me. Also, feel free to help me with tips or critical reviews. I may be able to feign intelligence sometimes, but I could always use help in writing. Even if you just want to talk about the story, hearing opinions of the readers is a big help to me in understand what works in my writing. Thanks again.

As for the story itself...

I put a lot of action and events into this chapter, but to save on space I'm not going to note a whole lot of that. The big thing that I was working to is the first main fight scene. This fight won't be against a touhou character, but with one against an OC threat. Minions of the Nighcaster are going to be a reoccurring enemy in addition to the Nighcaster herself. While there certainly will be plenty of intense magic duels against Joseph, I wanted to take a risk and not make that the first thing he fights. I wanted to clearly demonstrate the wicked nature of the Nightcaster against the more chaotic neutral nature of Gensokyo. Again, there will be plenty of touhou character moments and awesome fights involving them to come, but for this first one I'm going to try something different by pitting our beloved tiger and mouse youkai against something they've never seen before.

Thank you again for reading. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**You think you have the upper hand? You're a fool.**

* * *

From the dark emerges the Flawed one, just as I suspected it would. The monster runs forward, digging its claws into the ground to boost its forward momentum. These fiends may seem clumsy when unprovoked, but they have a unique sense of agility only their twisted forms could produce.

But they are not faster than me.

As the Flawed one emerges from the shadow of the gravestone and runs at me, I take aim at it and fire with my pistol. Two aimed shots to the chest and the creature is done for. It shrieks in agony and slumps down as it becomes a blaze of fire.

"There's another!" Shou warns from behind me.

"Two-no three more!" Nazrin shouts.

I glance back to see if they needs help, but I soon find out just how well the two of them really can fight.

Three Flawed make a charge at the two youkai right behind me; all running out from the cover of the graveyard.

Two of them head straight for Shou, but she does not flinch. As one of them claws up a small worn grave and takes a flying leap at her, she raises her lantern and uses it. An intense fury of magic is unleashed as a brilliant gold colored beam that strikes the airborne monster. The ray lasts only a second; just long enough to reduce the soaring creature to a rain of ashes.

_Whoa… Shou is not holding back here. She's vaporizing these things! _

A second monster still approaches, running along the ground with claws reaching forward. It takes Shou almost no effort to lower her aim and send a beam towards that one too. A rush of energy and another Flawed one is vanquished.

Nazrin is not as composed as her master though.

A third Flawed one swings away from the eyesight of Shou and focuses on Nazrin. The girl attempts to bring it down with her magical blasts, but the projectiles miss and the beast continues. Strafing from left to right, the Flawed one weaves towards Nazrin. She begins to panic as the monster draws close, and starts throwing off her own aim.

"I got you covered." I say as I step back towards her and aim my pistol around her. Three shots and the beast dies. Nazrin sighs and quietly thanks me.

"Thanks…"

"Sure. Stay focused though, there are more." I say to the two of them.

"I can deal with these things myself, just keep your side covered and I'll keep mine." Shou says.

_Fine by me._

I put my back to the two of them and take a quick second to reload my gun. Nine more bullets.

As I look up from reloading I see Yoshika standing next to one of the Flawed; oblivious to its violent nature. The monster shrieks and lashes out at her with its claws. Yoshika staggers back, but feels no pain from the injury. In a frenzy, the flawed hops on her and repeatedly stabs her.

"Huh? Stop that…" She complains as she is impaled yet again.

_It's trying to kill her! Why isn't she fighting? _"Yoshika! Fight back!"

Yoshika looks at the monster for a second, still confused as to what is happening.

_Argh! Do I have to save you from this? You're just getting in the way here._

Then, I get an idea. _Wait, maybe she can help us after all! Murasa mentioned she eats ghosts. If she also eats humans than maybe she's some kind of omnivore. _

"Yoshika! That's food." I say to her while pointing at the flawed one.

"Food?" She asks.

"Yes, food! You're hungry right?"

She stares at the monster for another second while it vainly digs both claws into her dead body.

Then, success.

Yoshika bends down towards the monster hanging on her and bites it on the top of the head. She pulls up with a mouthful of the monster's flesh and begins to chew. The monster itself dies from the fatal bite. The rest of the body burns away, but Yoshika's chunk lingers just long enough for her to swallow.

She happily sighs. "Good… but still hungry…"

_What a fearsome creature… She really does eat anything. Hopefully, she can help us take a few of them down._

I don't have to tell her to go look for more. She's already got the idea in her head. Disregarding her own safety, she steps behind one of the graves and pulls out a shrieking Flawed one. The Flawed one kicks and swings at her, but it does not stop her from making a meal of it. Yoshika rips and bites down on the monster's flesh; managing a few mouthfuls before inevitably killing it and moving on.

But she isn't unstoppable. A Flawed one moves behind her and slips past unnoticed. It's heading for me.

_Die you abomination!_ I mentally roar while gunning it down.

A hiss warns me of a closing threat. That one was a distraction. Two more rush side by side towards me.

But my aim is quick, and so are the bullets. A lucky headshot for one and three torso shots for the other kills them before they even get into melee range.

_Go back to the pit you came from!_

Then another hiss. Yet another attacker seeks to use the other two to catch me off guard. Leaping towards me like the other did to Shou, the Flawed one comes at me flying through the air.

I expend the last two bullets of my pistol's magazine at the creature.

But the two shots miss.

_Argh! _"Look out, one's getting past me!"

With no means of fighting back, I instinctively throw myself downward. The Flawed one lands right behind me right as I do. I avoid its fatal lunge, but I'm within melee range.

_Move move move!_

I roll over and crawl back from the lone Flawed as it turns towards me. It raises a claw at me, ready to slice me open. But then, light.

The Flawed one is reduced to ashes by Shou's beam attack. Thankfully just in time.

Shou looks down on me and scoffs. "Careless human fool. Get up. There are still more."

Without a word of reply, I stand back up and reload my pistol.

"Just how many did she send?" I mutter.

"Does it matter? I'll burn every one of them to find my master's scroll. One of them has to have it." Shou says back.

_Right. One way or another we have to beat them. They can't be infinite. We'll kill them all._

I raise my aim as two more Flawed ones begin to run at me from the distant darkness.

They hiss at me and I growl back. "Come on out you freaks of nature. I've got plenty of bullets here for you."

* * *

Charity smiles and sighs happily as she peers through the portal before her. In front of her is a red swirling gap, functioning in a similar way to my own. Through it, she views the same thing she does. A fight in the Myouren cemetery. The youkai hunter and two of the temple's advocates frantically fend off the swarm of Charity's familiars.

Together, me and her watch the fight unravel from a quiet hill outside outside the village.

Charity sighs once more. "Oh… I just never get tired of seeing these little guys do their thing. That… twisted… power and skill that they possess. The fiends of the shadow realm never cease to amaze me. I really never get tired of my practices."

_Setting aside her strange fascination with this dark magic she uses, I do have to ask…_

"But… you're minions are dying, dear." I remark.

Indeed, this youkai hunter uses his gun with both expertise and wrath. These minions, these… Flawed, are falling to his gunfire like mere flies. The two Buddhists are effortlessly destroying them as well. The Jeweled Pagoda of Bishamonten is certainly not to be trifled with, yet Charity has done so willingly.

The young Nightcaster merely shrugs. "Yeah… I have to admit, the Flawed aren't exactly powerhouses. They're good for easy work, but they are kinda weak overall. Numbers are their only real strength."

"But did you not say you sent them to steal the scroll? Isn't this counterproductive?" I ask.

She glances at me. "Hm? Oh, yeah. But not for me. I read in the Gensokyo Chronicle that the Sorcerer's Sutra Scroll can't be used by anyone other than Byakuren Hijiri. I'm sure I could rework the magic in it to get it something out of it, but I don't want to mess with that yet. From what I'm seeing, I don't think I could take Byakuren quite yet. Yet anyways."

"So… did you simply steal the scroll just to poke the Buddhists? Invoking the wrath of powerful groups for the sake of entertainment is not wise." _Although this is a rather interesting fight._

The Nightcaster smiles at me. "See, Yukari, I don't do anything without a reason. They're doing their purpose."

"Oh?"

Charity responds by withdrawing something from her side. A small stick… a hairpin.

_Oh? Is that… _"Seiga Kaku's hairpin? I recognize that. The Wall Passing Chisel is her most prized possession. She will not take kindly to this you know."

Charity laughs. "Hahaha! I don't think I will be worrying about her for a little while Yukari!"

"And the jiang-shi? She loves her master dearly." I gently ask.

"A little blackening charm on her talisman and she doesn't remember a thing. She's pretty stupid really…" She replies with a bit of disgust.

_My, my… _"So this was… ah, I think I see now. This was a plot to distract those who might notice her absence, the few who would, so you could obtain the chisel. But what purpose do you have that you would need it? If you truly needed to reach somewhere difficult I could have helped you."

Charity twirls the chisel around in her hands as she speaks. "Actually… I wanted to ask you something about that. About boundaries."

_Hm? _"What is it? The knowledge I have to offer is very restricted you know. The manipulation of boundaries is my secret."

She clarifies her position. "Oh, I don't want to know your secrets. Just some general questions about how they work in the world."

"Very well. I suppose it would do no harm just at that. I do rarely get to talk about my work." I reply.

Just… was wondering." She begins. "You can manipulate boundaries right? By doing something like say… shrinking the border between me and you, you can move closer to me. Or by switching it, you can move me to where you are. Is that right?"

I nod. "Correct. Like so."

With a blink, I easily reverse the boundary of space between me and her. The world shifts as we swap places in accordance with the new change. I then switch it back and restore us both to our original positions.

Charity sways a bit. "Ugh… that feels weird."

I cannot help but chuckle. "Hmhmhm. Ran was the same way when she was younger. Teleportation by boundary is something that takes getting used to."

She recomposes herself and resumes questioning. "So… what if you destroyed that boundary? What happens?"

…

"That is a very serious thing to do Charity. Even for me, the destruction of a boundary is both difficult and risky. If I were to destroy the spatial boundary between me and you for example, it would kill us both. There would no longer be any distinction between us spatially, and we would appear on the same spot. We would most likely displace each other and explode. Once a boundary is removed, there is no longer and distinction between the two things it defined, and they become a single concept. For better… or for worse." I say in serious tone.

"And creation?" She asks.

"Well, creating boundaries is a bit easier, but still risky. Just because something is divided into two things does not determine what they will be afterwards. If I divided something in half with a boundary, say an apple, I may not get two equal halves. They may not even be two separable parts. I would get just halves; somehow or another. To counter this, more boundaries are needed to define the cut, but it becomes complicated very quickly. The world we live in is made of an intricate web of boundaries and gaps. To toy with it is dangerous." I explain.

"So only the manipulation is the only smart thing to do." She concludes.

"Yes."

"Ok… Thanks Yukari. I think this gives me a bit of a better idea." Charity says as she turns back to her viewing device.

"What would that-"

"Ah!" Charity cuts me off with a gasp. "I lost my last one! Stupid minions died too quick…"

I sigh and do not press the issue. I notice through my own gap that the fight is beginning to conclude. The three are all scanning about, but they seem to be confident the fight is over."

_Hm? _"Charity, dear, where is the scroll?"

"Here, look at mine. The scroll bearer is already out of range again." She says as she moves her viewing portal towards me.

Through the distorted image of the portal I can see through her minion's eyes. It peers out at the group from behind an unmarked grave farther away. Loosely cupped in its metal claw is the scroll belonging to Byakuren.

"He was just bait to get them to come, but he'll probably be found in just a few seconds now. Poor little guy…" She says with mock sadness.

_Yes, well it was interesting while it lasted._

But then…

"Hmm... Hey Yukari." Charity says with a sudden smile. "Can you give me a gap to my minion? I want to make this last one interesting. I'll give these little idiots a good spin. What'cha think? Sound like some fun?"

"Well…" I hesitate.

She pouts at me. "Come on Yukari! You're my favorite goddess in the whole wide world! Please?"

I think for a second. _Well, I suppose one last obstacle would be interesting to see. It would only be fitting to have a boss at the end of a fight, and I am quite curious as to what this girl can really do._

"Very well. Show me what you can do dear Nightcaster." I say as I open a gap next to the hiding minion.

The sounds and air of the graveyard fills in from the open gap. The Flawed one stares back at us with dead lifeless eyes.

With a grin, she stands up and aims her hand at the minion. The runes on her arm glow bright red as she pours magic over the creature. Her black magic runs over the creature like a river, washing away its very existence.

Slowly, the minion begins to take on a terrible new form.

* * *

I continue to scan the surrounding dark for a second more before reloading my pistol and stashing it. "I think that was the last one… good work Shou. Thanks for the save by the way."

"Yes, you did fine yourself." Shou hesitantly admits.

Yoshika staggers towards us, bearing several cuts and scratches. "Much… Much better…"

"I can't believe you actually ate those disgusting things." Shou says with a sigh.

"But… It was good." She flatly responds.

I ignore her and continue to scan the darkness. It seems they are truly gone.

_That was insane. There were at least thirty of them. The Nightcaster's powers really are being augmented by Gensokyo. She's clearly getting stronger from just being here. It's a good thing she didn't get a hold of the scroll._

_Speaking of which…_

"Do you see the scroll anywhere around here?" I ask.

Shou looks around the ground to see if it was dropped, and Nazrin scans with her rods. Of course, Nazrin finds it first.

"Huh… I think it moved away from us again. It seems one of them ran off with it." Nazrin says.

"How far?" Shou quickly demands.

"Not too much further. Just a little ways this way." She says as she scans the dark night.

I get another warning just then. At the same time, my ear catches the sound of slow footsteps.

_What? What was that?_

"Something's coming." I warn.

We all look towards the dark as we all simultaneously catch sight of the emerging shadow. A tall humanoid figure wrapped in cloaks and robes makes its way towards us. Its tall and noble looking, but clearly not human. Around its head are more pieces of wrapping in place of facial features. In one bony hand it carries a sword, the other a throwing knife.

This wraith-like creature is one of the Nightcaster's toughest minions. An agile melee ace she saves for special occasions.

_A-a Veiled one? Where did that come from? This must be one of her traps! She must have hid this here to stop anyone her came after her and her plans! Damn it! This is not good!_

"This one. It definitely has the scroll." Nazrin confirms.

Shou aims her magic light at it. "I'll burn it down and get the scroll back! Haaa!"

As Shou unleashes her beam, the monster vanishes. Shou looks in confusion as the spot she aimed at is nothing more than a puff of shadow.

"Shou, move!" I call out as I raise my aim at the Veiled one as it rushes towards her with its sword. I fire a shot into it, causing it to teleport away yet again in response to the injury.

The Veiled are one of the Nightcaster's higher class of minion. Their ability to move instantaneously is supported with a fearsome blade and throwing knife combination. They are deadly assassins that rely on shock tactics to surprise enemies.

"Shou, Nazrin, stay close. It can move very fast. Wait for an opening." I quickly explain.

The three of us move a little closer together as we try to keep up with the swiftness of the monster. It effortlessly uses its shadow powers to dance between the gravestones around us. We're literally trying to chase a shadow now.

"Stay on your toes everyone. This one isn't something to fool around with." I warn.

"And just what is this?" Shou angrily demands.

"A Veiled one. They're very fast and very strong. These things are extremely dangerous."

Almost as if emerging to demonstrate that fact, the Veiled one steps into view for just a moment before casting a throwing knife towards me. I manage to catch the glimmer of steel just in time to duck, but only barely.

_Ugh, too close!_ I think as I stand back up.

_Come on… stay focused… it's got to make a mistake soon._

The rustling of cloth echo around us as the Veiled one continues to zoom about the graveyard, weaving between the graves at high speeds.

Soon, it returns to me.

The assassin monster steps out in front of me before taking a sideways stance and pointing its sword at me. It's going to rush.

Knowing I won't be able to kill it with just a few bullets, I put away my pistol and switch to my knife.

_Come on you monster!_

I raise the knife in defense right as the Veiled one instantly appears on top of me and tries to slice me in half. My knife sings a scratchy metallic note as the monster's steel halts against mine. I then push back against its sword and begin to drive it off.

"Graaa!" With a roar I lunge at the monster with my blade.

While I may have my strengths, I am no swordsman. This monster, however, is. I stab forward with my blade, but the Veiled one retreats away from it. I step forward and attempt to chop at it, but it parries my strike with a twirl of its blade. In a final effort I run at it swinging, but I am only met with another swift parry and a sword hilt to the side of the head.

I tumble to the ground right next to the sword wielding monster. It turns the blade around in its hand and kneels over me as it prepares to impale me to death.

But before it can I am saved. Simultaneous attacks from Nazrin and Shou force it into retreat.

I quickly pull myself back up and scan around again. The Veiled one is already moving again.

"There you are!" Shou declares.

Shou fires another beam at it, only to miss as it vanishes. The Veiled one takes advantage and zooms in on us with its sword ready.

"AH!" Shou barely manages to evade the sudden appearance and subsequent slice of the sword. It misses her by a centimeter. It draws back again and swings sideways in an attempt to cut her in half, but she thankfully avoids that too.

_Now's my chance!_

I nearly drop my knife as I return it to my side and redraw my pistol again. Using the brief second the monster leaves itself open after an attack, I pump three rounds into the mass of cloth that makes up its body. Nazrin quickly follows up with a small volley of magical blasts.

The veiled one steps back and vanishes again as it sustains injury.

I look towards Shou. "Shou, are you hit?"

She does not respond. She merely adjusts the white cloth around her shoulders before reaching towards a pocket and drawing a card. I can only assume it's a spell card.

"Stand back everyone. I'm going to destroy this monster right now…" She says as she holds the spell card forward.

_She still needs an opening. Something to stun it for a second…_

_Wait, maybe this stone will help now._

I lower my weapon and draw out the magic stone. It responds to my hand just as before, feeling light and powerful in my grip.

_Now where are you…_

Agonizing seconds pass. The monster is waiting for an opening too. But our tight group assures that we do not give one. It will have to take a change.

And it seems to take it on me. The Veiled one appears before me in an instant and raises its sword to attack.

_Gotcha!_

The stone rumbles as it blasts down the Veiled one. The monster staggers back and nearly falls over in a daze. I blast it again and knock it back further with a blast of impacting force.

"Come on Shou, I got it over here!" I call as I blast it yet a third time.

Shou quickly spins around to my side and aims her card at it. With a powerful command, she unleashes the magic within.

"Jeweled Pagoda: Radiant Treasure Gun!"

At her word, the card in her hand erupts. Her light glows ever brighter before suddenly shifting to red. The air seems to shift as magic flows through the air and all around us.

Then, like an explosion, a massive array of beams shoot forth. Crimson energy snakes towards the stunned minion in long curved beams. The attack is impossible for the monster to escape, and it has no choice but to be impaled and burned several times over by the volley of lasers. This is the end for it.

"Whoa…" I whisper in awe.

The whole display lasts for just a few seconds, but it is certainly impressive. Its easily one of the most powerful shows of magic I have ever seen in my life.

When it ends, the Veiled one is left standing there full of smoldering holes. It manages a single step forward before collapsing on itself and dying miserably. Its body burns away in a rush of flame and a shower of sparks. Soon nothing is left…

Save for the Sorcerer's Sutra Scroll. Almost as if neatly placed there, the scroll sits atop the pile of the monster's ashes.

_Finally… I think that's it. Nice try Nightcaster, but you aren't stealing this scroll tonight._

I put away my magic stone and dust myself off as I walk towards the scroll. I scoop it up out of the ashes and hold it up to where I can see. It looks like two rolling handles of an antique parchment scroll, but I can't seem to open it.

"Ahem." Shou coughs.

I turn around to see Shou standing there with a demanding open hand.

"Thanks for the help with the fight. Pretty impressive spell card there. I've never seen anything like that." I compliment as I turn the scroll over to her.

She stares at me silently for a second before softening a bit. "Yes… well… I've had some practice you could say. And thank you for your help as well. You did well in helping me bring justice tonight. These fiends should never have been here."

"Yeah. It was good to have your help. Thanks." Nazrin adds.

_Well these two certainly toned down a bit. I guess facing those things has a tendency to make people a little more cautious._

_I'm just glad we were able to stop them…_

I take a look around. "Where's Yoshika? I don't remember where she was when the Veiled one showed up."

Shou shrugs and begins to walk away. "Probably wandered off like she usually does. Come on now, we need to return this to Byakuren. Knowing her, she's probably worried about us."

I nod. "Yes. Lead the way Shou."

_Although I do wonder… hm. I guess it's not important. I suppose Yoshika will be reunited with her master soon enough._

Shou turns back and leads us out of the graveyard. The fallen ashes of the Nightcaster's monsters are already being whisked away by the wind. Soon, nothing will remain.

Soon, this will just be a bad memory. Another notch in the back of my mind.

The strength of these minions is worrisome though. The Nightcaster is clearly getting stronger from Gensokyo. This is a world of magic, and her corrupted powers are being increased by it. It will only be a matter of time before none of us are able to stop her and her army of minions.

I will see to it that does not happen though. I will stop her. It will be hard, but if with enough help, I will be able to beat her.

First things first though. It's time to return this scroll to Byakuren. I'm sure she will be happy to see it again.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter!

So this is my first chapter to focus on combat. Looking back at it now, it feels just a little strange writing this. I enjoy writing about Touhou characters much more than these monsters. Having Shou and Nazrin (and Yoshika to a point) participate in this fight made it a lot more interesting, but I think I'll need to work on my writing skills when it comes to fights. Overall, I think I did ok, but it just feels like it's missing something...

Also, had another brief moment with Yukari's POV and Charity. In this one, Charity is a bit toned down, but I tried giving some insight as to her plans and just what they may involve to compensate. Her plans aren't going to be completely clear for a while yet, but I wanted to give the feel that she's up to something, and not just a looming designated bad guy.

Anyways.

Thank you again for reading. I'll have the next one up as soon as I can.


	8. Chapter 8

**The road to ruin is paved with good intentions. Is it for the best? Or are you just killing yourself?  
**

* * *

Byakuren Hijiri steps forward to greet us as we reenter the temple. She is now redressed, and her wounds are gone. Now that she has regained her composure, her presence is both angelic and powerful.

She politely bows to the three of us. "Dear followers and friends. It is good to see you return safely. I heard the sounds of fighting in the graveyard and feared the worst. Were you successful?"

Shou steps towards Byakuren and hold the scroll up to her. "Master, you're scroll is here."

Byakuren accepts it with a quiet thanks and sets it on a belt on her side.

"What about the thieves?" Byakuren asks next.

Shou respectfully answers. "The thieves were not thieves, but the work of a witch's magic. Just as Joseph led us to believe. They have been vanquished, and are no more."

Byakuren nods. "Good. Very good. Was there anything else?"

"No." Shou replies. "Just that strange guardian lingering about. Her owner is absent as of now."

"I see. Shou, Nazrin, Thank you. As always, your service to our temple is invaluable. Bishamonten would surely be proud of you both." Byakuren says to the two youkai. Nazrin departs at her word, but Shou stays.

She turns to me next, stepping past Shou and bowing politely in front of me. "Joseph, thank you for your aid. Your wisdom and skill has undoubtedly saved us from this strife."

I'm not used to being thanked for my work, but it's a nice feeling nonetheless.

I manage my own little bow and return her thanks. "Happy to help. These things are my specialty. I was just lucky I even heard about it at all. I'm a little new to Gensokyo you see, and I was being guided by a friend when I just happened to hear about it from a passerby."

"New?" Byakuren asks. "Yet you seem quite professional for a newcomer. If you don't mind my asking, how was it you knew what the problem was?"

_Hmm… I don't think I have anything to hide from her. _"I'm a youkai hunter from outside Gensokyo. A very dangerous witch has come here, and I am pursuing her in attempt to stop her before she causes chaos. As you have no doubt seen, she is more than capable of that already."

I sigh a little. "But… I am not familiar with Gensokyo. What's more, my enemy, the Nightcaster, has become much stronger upon her arrival to this magic world, and she no doubt has all the resources she needs here to further increase her power beyond anything I've seen. As I am right now… I lack the strength to stop her."

"I… see. It is unfortunate to hear a new arrival come under such troubling circumstances." Byakuren replies.

"But, I'm not out of luck yet." I quickly add. "I've heard of people who may be able to help me. A... kappa I think she was called, may be able to help me with weaponry that I can use, and a certain librarian may have what it takes to instruct me on the use of magic. I will need both if I am to beat my enemy."

Byakuren nods. "Nitori and Patchouli. Yes, I know of them too. But if what I have heard is correct, than you may be in for more trouble. Nitori is known for her shyness around humans, and the mansion Patchouli lives in is owned by a very hostile vampire lord named Remilia Scarlet."

_A vampire? Here? I never thought I'd hear about one of those again. Hopefully she won't get in my way too much. My last fight with a vampire almost got me killed! As for the shyness of Nitori… Maybe there is a time when I can catch her in public and introduce myself._

"But perhaps I too can offer you some assistance." Byakuren adds after a second.

Shou, who has been standing back, becomes curious. "Master? What do you mean?"

"You said you wished to learn to control magic? As a magician myself, I certainly see the potential in you. I may be able to show you how to use it." Byakuren offers.

_Magic potential? In me? No, she must be seeing the stone. I can't use magic myself._

"Master, I thought you said you had given up witchcraft." Shou says, surprised by the offer.

"Well, for the sake of a friend, perhaps I can show you one little spell. Would that be sufficient?" She says with a smile.

_Well, if she really can help me, then… _"Thank you. That would be a huge help."

She smiles brighter. "Very well. But not tonight. It is much too late to do anything. Let us all rest first. Joseph, you said you were a newcomer. Do you have a place to stay? If you need, we can take care of you for a night. Food can be provided."

_What? _"Byakuren, that's all fine, but there is no need. I don't want to impose or anything…"

She shakes her head. "There is nothing to worry about. We have plenty of spare space where you can rest. Food is little problem for us right now. Please, do accept. I will not rest easy knowing our friend sleeps outside with nothing to eat."

_Well…_

Shou urges me to accept. "I know you humans have limits. I can see exhaustion in your eyes. You have been traveling a long time, and it shows. You need rest. Stay, and recover. You can leave in the morning."

I sigh. "W-well… I suppose if it really isn't a problem."

"Then it's settled. You will remain with us for the night. In the morning, I will wake you and begin instructing you on using magic. I look forward to instructing you." Byakuren concludes.

She then turns away and calls down one of the side halls. "Murasa. Murasa are you still there?"

After a few minutes, she appears from the hall and enters.

_The voices in this place must echo really well…_

Murasa stands at attention, in an almost military-like fashion. "Murasa here! What's up Byakuren?"

Byakuren gestures towards me. "Joseph will be staying with us for a night. If you could show him around the place and help get him situated, that would be wonderful.

Murasa quickly nods. "Sure thing!"

She then whirls towards me and unexpectedly grabs me by the hand.

I stagger forward as I she starts to pull me. "Wh-whoa! Hey!"

Byakuren and Shou wave goodbye as I am pulled away by the energetic girl. She begins dragging me down the halls and leading me through the place in a rush.

"Alright Joseph! This is Captain Murasa leading you on a tour of the Myouren Temple! Starting on here on the left is…"

Her energetic personality and quick explanations are hard to follow, and the fact that I can barely keep my balance isn't helping either. But I manage to get an idea of the place.

Soon enough, I reach my room.

_Phew. Time for some rest…_

Time flies quickly as I get cleaned up and get to bed. My room is just an empty room with a shelf for my things, a window for light, and a cushioned mat and blanket on the ground. It's not a comfortable place, but I certainly am not going to complain.

I set aside my inventory and crawl into the bed. Almost instantly, I fall into a slumber.

_…_

_…_

_…_

_Where am I?_

I soon awake not in the same place as before. The world around me is a swirling darkness. The floor I stand on is like the temple floor, but there are no walls or roof. It's just a floating platform. The shelf with my things and my coat is gone. There is nothing here.

_W-what? What on earth is this? Is this a nightmare? What's going on?_

"I am sorry for deceiving you. Bringing you here would not have been as easy if your mind was this tense."

I recognize that voice. I quickly spin around to find Byakuren standing behind me.

"Byakuren? What is this place? Where is everything?" I quickly ask.

She remains calm and serene, but has a sense of determination now. "Stay calm Joseph. You are dreaming. This is the dream world. You are here as a dream."

_Wait… I'm dreaming? So I'm still asleep? _ "Ok… So I'm just my dream self here? What is this dream world?"

"The dream world is an actual place. You can physically visit it, but you can also reach it while dreaming too. I have used a spell to bring us both here as a dream. This little area is my own slice of the dream world; made for my magic practices long ago. Here, I will begin the first step into showing you magic." Byakuren explains.

_Magic? _"But I thought we weren't doing anything tonight."

"It is morning."

"Morning?" I ask.

"Morning. Night is gone now. When this is over, you will be woken up." She confirms.

_Ok… I can buy that. I did agree to let her help me. If this is the first step then so be it…_

I look around again. _But… one problem._

"Byakuren. I can't do magic like this. I had a magic stone on me that powers up magical abilities. Without it, I can't-"

"You can." She cuts off. "You can, and I will help you. I'm fully aware of the magic in that stone. We will discuss that in a moment. When I was talking about your potential, I truly was referring to you. I am here to teach _you _magic, not the stone."

_What? But how? I've never been able to do magic before! _I think in a flurry of rushed thoughts.

"Calm down, you look like you are having a panic attack. Whether you want to believe it or not, you have magical potential in you. Gensokyo must have brought out your dormant abilities. With my help I will make those abilities flourish. You can use magic. All you need is some help starting." Byakuren says in a quiet tone.

I calm down and ask a serious question. "Ok then. What kind of magic? Like a spell card?"

She shakes her head. "Not quite. Spell cards and danmaku are Gensokyo's main magical trade, but they are quite complex to do. Most people have been practicing spell cards for years. For you, I think some simple sorcery would be sufficient for your current level."

"Ok… So where do we begin?" I ask nervously.

Slowly, Byakuren steps towards me. "This will only take a moment. Hold still…"

_Ah… what are you doing?_ I anxiously think when Byakuren starts to get uncomfortably close. Her body is almost right against mine. Her breath is warm against the cool of the dream realm.

Then, suddenly, she places her hands gently on the sides of my head and holds me. Her caress is soothing against the side of my face, but I'm starting to get really uncomfortable now. That intense look in her eyes could mean anything to a guy like me.

_Byakuren, what on earth are you-_

"_GAAAAAAAH!"_

Pain. Just pain. More pain. The pain doesn't stop.

"Bear with it Joseph! This is for your own good!" Byakuren says to me over the roar of her magic.

She continues to pump raw magical energy through my skull. The world spins as strange forces enter my head and sink into me. My mind feels like it is being ripped to shreds.

A few seconds feels like an hour of torment. Pain. Pain. Pain. I continue to scream in agony.

Then, the pain is gone. Then, there is light. I am awake.

With a ragged gasp, I cast off my sheets and writhe out of the bed.

I clench my sore head and roll about. "Augh! Gaaaah… Nngh!"

"Calm down Joseph. The dream is over. That was just a small part. It's over." Byakuren soothes next to me.

I look over to see Byakuren kneeling next to my bed. She is not touching me anymore. She's not even in the same spot to me. I was just dreaming.

But that still hurt.

Angry and pained, I stand up and glare at her. "What was that? What did you do to me you demon?"

Byakuren gives a sad sighs. "I'm sorry. I had to do that part while you slept. That much real pain may have killed you. In fact, you did die. Death as a dream is only waking up though. Everything is fine now. It was for the best."

_WHAT? _"You tried to kill me? Byakuren, help is one thing but that is insanity! That's murder! I swear you Gensokyo people aren't right in the head!"

"Tell me, do you feel any different now?" She calmly replies.

_Huh? _"I… um… Well… I do feel a little… light headed? What does this have to do with anything though?"

Byakuren explains to me yet again. "That spell I worked on you altered your mind and body. My specialty of magic is altering the self to give enhanced power. I've given you an ability that may help a non-native like you master spells more easily. I've made the change permanent for you, so it should not wear off. It is only a small ability, but it should help. I'm sorry it caused you so much pain. "

_Ok… calm down… this is just a weird youkai thing… you asked for this Joseph, now it's time to figure it out._

Now more curious than angry, I ask a question. "How does this work?"

"I will show you. Now comes the next part. No, Joseph, I won't be hurting you anymore. This should be easy. You may even find it relaxing." She says as politely as she can.

I still shiver in place a bit. I certainly couldn't withstand that agony again. I cannot help but feel fear despite her words.

Byakuren stands up and draws her scroll. As she opens it, an amazing display of magic unfolds.

Colorful rune-like symbols stretch out before her. There is no paper of any kind. The parchment's contents seem to just float in front of her. She unrolls the entire length of the scroll, yet the words do not stop coming. An endless script of magic flows out in front of her. She then mutters several strange words. The ominous magic in her speech contrasts her previous kindly nature.

Yet the effect is simple. In a piercing flash of light, the letters seem to hop off her scroll and onto the wall. Slowly, letter by letter, she translates the words of her scroll onto the wall. When she finishes and sets down her scroll, a small burning phrase is etched into the very stone of the wall.

"What is that?" I ask.

Byakuren places a hand behind me and urges me forward. "Step closer, and see."

_Oh, crap. This is the part where it hurts isn't it?_

I allow myself to be guided towards the colorful intelligible words on the wall. Cautiously, I step to the writing until I can read it.

Yet, I can't read it. The words are foreign to me.

Now assured that I'm not going to be feeling pain, I become curious.

"What does it say? I can't rea-ah! W-what the?"

My world suddenly flashes and turns into nothing. The text in front of me seems to jump out at me. Somehow, I feel like I'm absorbing what is being said in these words.

My mind begins to translate the words as some kind of magical formula for a spell. It seems so complicated, yet I understand it. Aside from the initial shock the effect had on my eyes, the magical power sinking into my mind is soothing like a warm oil.

But suddenly it ends. The world returns.

"What you just experienced was the power I gave you. You can absorb any magic you see." Byakuren explains.

_Whoa..._

"So, if I see a spell card or something I can use it?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "As I said, it is a small effect. The effects only extend to basic magic. You can't learn high level magic or spell cards like this. You can only learn magic you are capable of using, and it has to be in some kind of text for your eyes to read. Magic scrolls, written formulae, books, and runes can grant you new spells instantly. This should save you from having to study extensively like most would."

_So… I can just absorb it then? I can just grab some magic scroll from this librarian and get what I need. Yes… this should save a huge amount of time._

"I see. Thank you Byakuren." I respond.

"Now, for the last part." She says. "Actually using magic. Again, I've seen quite a bit of potential in you. I have given you the power to learn magic quickly, and I have given you a spell. All that is needed for you to do is reach into your mind and draw on your potential to fulfill the spell. You must let the power inside you flourish and grow if you want to become stronger. Now use your new spell."

_Spells huh? I never thought I'd be the one to do this… but if that's the way it works then…_

I try to think my way back into my mind when I read that spell Byakuren wrote and visualize it. Surprisingly, I find it easy to see and understand now.

I can understand it's some kind of seeing spell. All that's needed for it to work is a little focus and the correct gesture…

_Ok… I think I can do this… Here's to hoping I don't make a fool of myself like I did with the stone._

Following the instructions, I concentrate on that spell and wave my hand across my eyes like it says. I do it correctly, and succeed. The spell activates, and the world changes before my eyes.

"Whoa! What just happened?" I ask as I glance around. Byakuren is glowing to me, and the world seems to be discolored.

"You used a spell. It is called Intuition." She says with a smile. "Intuition is an eye enhancing spell that will allow you to see individuals, as well as magically hidden things like ghosts, or invisibility enchantments."

_So that's magic… Not really the punch I need, but this could give me an edge I'm sure. Hopefully this… Intuition will help._

I continue to look around. Byakuren is the only thing in here. As soon as I blink, the spell concludes, and my vision returns.

Byakuren then goes over to my things and takes the magic stone. She hands it to me, and I accept. She said she wanted to talk about this, I just wonder about what.

"Joseph, this stone has a significant amount of power in it. This is a magic enhancing stone isn't it?" She asks.

I silently nod yes.

"Well, how about you try your spell with it then? The power of Intuition should be enhanced if you use it with the stone." She suggests.

_Well, worth a shot._

I hold the stone tightly in one hand, and cast the spell again. The blue rock in my hand glows brightly as it responds to my own magic and enhances it.

The spell returns and my world changes. But something more is added this time. Byakuren is not only glowing, but a shimmering aura, almost like a silver mist, floats around her and highlights her beyond what it used to. I could see someone coming from a mile away like this. The spell's effects have been doubled.

_Hm?_

I notice something else this time. A similar shimmering aura is seeping in through the slats of the door.

"I someone outside Byakuren?" I ask.

Byakuren smiles brightly. "Quite impressive. That stone seems to enhance spells when you use it to cast magic. Very well done. I think have learned everything I have to show you for now."

She then turns to the door. "Shou, we are finished. You may enter."

The door slides open and Shou enters carrying a tray. She walks towards me and hands me a wood tray containing some bread, some kind of light soup, and a glass of juice.

_Breakfast?_

I quickly cancel Intuition and thank her. "Thank you Shou."

She bows and silently departs.

I feel hunger begin to set in as soon as I am left holding the tray. I quickly sit down and begin to work on eating the bread. Byakuren kneels down across from me.

"I have shown you how to use magic and given you one of my own spells, but I'm sure you have questions." Byakuren says. "Is there anything you want to ask before you leave?"

_Hmmm._

"Not really. But… you don't have any other spells I could use?" I politely ask.

She shakes her head. "Not now. I have my secrets for a reason. Perhaps if you wanted to become my disciple along with Shou… Ah, that look says enough. Just remember when using magic, that you have a limit. I have improved your body to withstand more magic use, but you can still tire yourself even with this little eye spell. Cast in moderation."

_Right._

She then shifts to a serious tone. "Joseph, you must remember to never be lured by the charms of easy power. Now that you have had a taste of magic, you have no doubt felt the brief thrill of being in control of the world around you. Don't deny it, you had the same gleam in your eyes that I did when I was younger. You have opened yourself to a new world of temptation, and you will be tested. Joseph, you must not give in to that lust for power. Do not become like your enemy. Promise me this Joseph."

_Right… I'm a Slayer. This magic… my magic… is only for that purpose alone. I must never seek to use magic aimlessly, or submit to the lures of dark powers. Charity gave in to her desires, and became a monster._

_I will not let that happen to me._

"I promise. I know all too well how magic can consume. I won't let that happen to me." I say in a low voice.

Byakuren stands up. "Very well. Then I think we are done. I will let you eat in peace."

She turns back to me as she closes the door on her way out. "It is not yet noon. If you hurry, you may still get a good start on your day."

"Thanks. I'll be out in a minute."

At that, Byakuren shuts the door. I quickly gobble down the bread and soup and guzzle the juice. The meal is light, but sustaining. It should get me through the day easily. I set down the tray beside me after I finish with it.

_Whew. That was good. Thanks Byakuren…_

Byakuren has done me many great favors today. I had certainly not expected the kindness of this place to extend so far as this. Coming here has certainly turned out well for me.

_So… magic huh?_

Just to test it again, I cast Intuition; waving my fingers over my eyes just as before. The spell works like a charm, and the world changes instantly. There is nothing to see anymore, but I still stop to admire the faded bluish texture everything takes on while my eyes are under the effect.

_I have to say… This is pretty cool. Nothing's getting past me now._

_But enough playing around. I have to go._

I end the spell and stand up. I don my jacket and gather my things before leaving the room. It takes me a few seconds to navigate the halls, but I soon find my way back into the main chamber next to the entrance.

In here is Byakuren and another man. I can overhear bits of their conversation. The man seems to be expressing concern about the attack, and Byakuren is calmly reassuring him.

After a second he turns away and departs. Byakuren then notices me and heads over to me.

"Leaving?" She asks.

I nod. "Yes. I head to the Scarlet Devil Mansion next. Byakuren… thank you for everything. You've been a huge help."

"You have helped me greatly as well. Thank you again for your aid. You will always be an ally of the Myouren Temple. If your journey ever becomes too difficult, please, do not hesitate to return here." She says with a small smile.

"Alright. Thanks." I turn to the entrance and begin to leave. "Goodbye."

"Farewell friend." Byakuren says.

_Man… what a girl. Byakuren Hijiri…_

Byakuren and the Myouren people have helped me more than I could possibly hope for. I have gained a powerful new edge: the ability to learn any written magic instantly. This should speed my quest towards the Nightcaster.

_You'd best be ready Nightcaster. I've got my own magic now. I'm not the same guy as before. _

Refreshed, confident, and armed with a new power, I push open the doors and into the morning light. It's time to continue the journey.

Towards the Scarlet Devil Mansion next. For the power I will need to thwart my enemy resides there.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

This is my first time ( i think) writing a chapter that revolves around a single main event. Joseph learning to control magic is a big change for him, as he is very skeptical of the supernatural, and it marks the first step in gaining level ground with his enemies and opposition. Although I wanted to stick with the idea of writing about this one part, I still wanted to make it interesting as possible. I tried adding twists, and world-building details to make it a worthwhile read. Hopefully, this didn't come off as monotonous or boring. I love writing action-y and dramatic material, but I thought this was a bit too important to downplay.

Originally, this wasn't going to include so much Byakuren, but I just felt that this personality would be the best one for this part. Plus, Byakuren is one of my favorite characters, so I don't exactly mind that so much. Although I don't want to focus too much on one character for any given time, I just felt she fit most of these parts the best. Now that we're leaving the temple though, we probably won't see her again for quite some time.

Thank you again for reading. I'll have the next one ready soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**A terrible mistake. Watch your step, Slayer. It could be your last.**

* * *

The town's markets are quiet this morning. Passing through takes little time. Before long I am out of the town and back on the roads.

The sun is not out today. The air is cool, but not cold. Overall, a nice morning.

_Good day to make some progress. It's time to get to this mansion. I will need some magical firepower if I am to survive here._

The road I begin down is empty. A small dirt path with grass on either side. Glancing around, I can see hills, forests, and a great mountain all in the distance. Another forest I spot just beyond the human village behind me, and to my left is a great expanse of field; two places I have yet to even visit. I don't know how big this world is, but there is much to it.

Yet I find it so eerie. There was never such a great expanse of nature on my world. There was always this distant bustle of the city, the drilling of a mine, or the churning of a factory. Without those sound this place feels… wild. Untamed.

I certainly don't have any pleasure to revisit that chaos anytime soon, but at the same time I miss those sounds. This place is so quiet.

I feel alone out here.

_Well… at least loneliness is safety._ I think to myself. _Anything is better than spending time with some strange youkai girl. There are a lot of girls here aren't they?_

In my experience, women tend to become demons more easily than men because women have stronger spirits that are better receptive to supernatural forces. Yet I am finding it strange how many women live here.

I shake my head and push aside these useless thoughts. _Focus. None of that matters. I still have a lot to do._

I take another glance around.

_I should keep up a good pace until I get through here. No telling what will jump out._

Down the road I continue. Soon enough, I reach a spit here. The road breaks to the right. I remember being told to turn here, so I do.

This path is much narrower, and the grass is starting to become a thick brush. My movements become limited as I continue around towards the forest.

There is no end in sight. I can see the forest, but no lake.

Yet I do see something else. Something like a fog. Rising up over alongside the forest is a huge cloud of foggy mist. It looks completely impassable. I can't see through it at all.

_What? Am I going in there? Can't be easy can it?_

Still, I have no choice but to press onward into the fog. It quickly rises up and swallows me, blinding my vision and weighing me down. My steps through the soggy ground are heavy and slow.

"I can't see a thing out here…" I grumble.

With my visibility gone and the path hidden to me, I have no choice but to blindly walk forward. I'll have to reach the end sometime. Or I'll just end up stepping into the lake, and I can guide myself around its edge.

Eventually…

It feels like an hour passes before I encounter anything. Soon, I arrive at, what I think is, my destination. A large mansion mysteriously rises out of the fog. The place looks a little haunted in this fog, but I ignore that fact and walk towards it.

The mansion seems suspiciously out of place in this field. It seems as if it was just placed here on a whim. There is no courtyard, or walkway, or any other kind of structure around it. It's just a large three story mansion. The slightly antique look reminds me of some of the royal's estates I've seen back home.

I find no one around as I approach the front door.

_Nothing here. I figured I'd see something out here, but it looks like everyone is still inside._

I give the door a solid knock. No answer. I knock again. Still no answer.

"Hello?" I call out to the door, hoping my voice will carry inside.

Still nothing.

_I guess they're not here. I'll just- _

Then, with an obnoxious creaking of old wood, the double doors swing open to me.

_Ok… I'll just go on in then._

I take a hesitant step inside and glance around. This place looks even more haunted in here. Dull light from outside shines through the open door, providing light to this dark room. This place seems covered in a light fog too; most likely from the windows on the upper floor. Small clouds of mist roll about this room and the hallways like ghosts.

This wide foyer has some decorative paintings, but all are worn and moldy. A large curved staircase leads up to the next floor, and below it are a pair of halls leading deeper into this floor. In the middle of this room is a large round table, also molded and weak.

On the table is a vase with four flowers. Three are wilted and dead, a fourth is stripped of petals completely. For some reason, the vase seems to give me a bad vibe.

I don't think this is the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

As I look around the room from the door, I remember a warning from Alice.

_Don't confuse the Scarlet Devil Mansion with the run down one… this must be that. I probably got lost trying to walk around the lake in the fog and ended up here without knowing the difference. I suppose this place did look a little old from the outside, but I thought it was just the fog._

_This is definitely the wrong place._

Seeing as no one has yet to greet me, I decide to just turn and leave before I anything happens. I take a step out…

Boom.

The door slams with incredible violence. The threshold rattles as the two doors slam shut and knock me back. I am hit so hard I almost leave the ground entirely. Dusty marble flooring rises up and hits me hard.

"Ah! What the heck was that?" I stammer as I quickly get back up and face the shut doors.

I step to the doors and grab them. I pull, push, rattle, and shake, but they don't give. Mysteriously, they are locked and won't open.

I get a sudden chill, and not from the mist. A danger warning. Something bad is going to happen to me in here.

Instantly, I spin around and draw my pistol. "Who's there?"

I see no person, but a thing. A mass of reddish glowing light shoots upstairs and zooms around the second floor walkways before vanishing down one of the hallways.

_A ghost? Is this place truly haunted? Or is this some witch playing a trick on me?_

Slowly, I step forward into the room. Without the outside light shining in, there really is not much light in this ruined mansion.

With no other direction in mind, I head up after the ghostly light. I climb the stairs leading to the walkway that hangs over the foyer. I walk around head towards where the ghost ran to.

_Maybe there is someone here who can explain this place and let me out._

These halls are like the room from before. It was once grand and elegant, but no longer. The wallpaper is rotted and peeling. The carpet is torn and dusty. The doors are cracked and rusty. All that remains of this place are these run down shadows and a few clouds of haunting mist.

After blindly navigating a few halls, I finally start to lose my sense of direction. The angular halls are all alike to me.

_Great, now I'm lost in here._

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I call out.

Of course, nothing responds to me.

At least, not right away.

As soon as I speak, I catch glimpse of another light. A faintly bluish mass of glowing ghostly matter. It rushes across the hall in front of me and disappears.

_What on earth was that thing? That wasn't a ghost was it?_

I speed forward after the light. I swing around the corner after it and manage to see it make another turn. Again, I dash forward and turn after it.

"Hey! Wait!" I call out after it as I turn down the next hall.

I manage to see it make yet another turn right as I say that. It seems to have a sense of direction. I'm hoping that it might lead me somewhere.

I continue to follow it, but am met with a different response from the bluish mass. As I turn the corner, I find the creature hovering right around the other side. I nearly slam into the thing, but manage to catch myself before I do so.

The glowing blue mass floats in front of me. It's about the size of a large bush, and made from a raging fiery matter that emits its own faint light in these dark halls. Standing in front of it gives me a deathly chill; something I've come to associate with undead presences.

The mass surges violently toward me, threatening to envelop me with its strange presence. I take a few steps away and keep distance.

The being speaks in a distorted inhuman voice. "You should not be here."

I don't know how to reply. _Should not be here? What? What on earth is this thing?_

Then, without a single word more, the creature attacks.

The phantom light lashes out at me; surging towards me and grabbing me with its being.

_What the-Ack!_

Part of the ghost flame brushes against my arm. Even through my jacket, this thing burns. I feel no warmth from this creature alone, but to the touch it is fire.

_What kind of ghost is this? Some kind of evil spirit of a demon maybe? I've never seen anything like this. It seems intelligent, but it just appears to be a thing of wild magic and lost souls. And I've never met a ghost that's hot before._

_But whatever this thing, it's dying. Right now._

Before the spirit can charge at me again, I raise my pistol and fire into it. I don't know how much damage bullets will do to a ghost, as I have never actually tried, but I'm finding out now.

Surprisingly, it works. The bullet halts against the evil spirit and wounds it. Four shots is all it takes before the mass convulses and dissipates. The body of the creature fades away into smoke, which in turn dissipates into nothing.

"Wicked spirit…" I growl as the evil spirit dies before me.

I reload my gun and give it a quick check.

_Seems like Alice's modification helped after all. It seems like I can damage Gensokyo's denizens with this again. That's a bit of reassurance. I should just be careful with ammo though. I don't want to spend it all before I can get the trust of someone who can help me get more._

Immediately after that though, another foe emerges to meet me. More evil spirits. A red one and a gold one emerge from the hall and begin towards me.

_More? This place must be cursed or haunted. This must be why Alice told me not to come here._

_But if I have to vanquish every spirit and ghost until I lift this curse on this place and free myself than so be it!_

I store my pistol and bring out my great knife. If physical objects can hurt these things, then this certainly will.

Holding my blade in one hand, I rush forward to meet the new attackers in melee.

With a quick swing, I use my long blade to cut apart the red evil spirit before it can hit me. The gold one swoops towards me, but the slow movement is easily predicted. I respond to it with a pair of quick chops.

The two spirits are both vanquished, and dissipate into smoke.

_Those two came from that way_ I think while I turn down the hall they came from.

As I turn, a fourth spirit, a blue one, emerges down the far end.

_They keep coming. It's like they're trying to defend something. I'll just have to follow them to it then!_

I run forward and split apart the spirit just as before. It doesn't even try to defend itself against my blade. An easy victory.

This one came from the left ahead, so I turn there and follow it back. Down the ruined halls I travel towards an unknown destination.

I don't encounter anything in this hall, but there is a window at the split ahead.

_A window? So that must mean I'm at the edge. I wonder how much farther this thing is? They don't seem to be coming from nowhere. Maybe the destination is in the very corner._

As I approach the window, I find the assumption to be correct. This hall goes down all the way towards the farthest corner. On the corner I can see the light of several more evil spirits.

_More? Gah, they just keep coming!_

I have no choice but to face them though. With blade in hand, I walk towards the mass of ghostly spirits.

"Come on you monsters. You want to keep me in here with you? Well here I am!" I shout as I walk towards the evil spirits.

A few of them break off from the group at my taunt. They head towards me, a red one, a green one, and a gold one.

"Hraa!"

With a shout, I lunge towards the group of three. The first one is quickly dealt with as I drive my blade straight through it. I turn the handle and cleave my way out of that one and into the next right before it reaches me. Two down.

But the third gets lucky.

I howl in pain. "Argh! Agh!"

Before I can bring my blade down on it, the evil spirit crashes into me and starts to push me back with an unearthly force. I continue to stagger backwards as the evil spirit pushes itself into me. All the while, its presence burns me like a fire. I feel like I'm being burned to death.

_Back off!_

I manage to regain my balance long enough to stab forward with my blade and into the monster. The pain stops as the evil spirit fades away.

I take a deep breath. _Whew… that hurt… I think I'm ok though. No burn marks or cuts. I can keep going._

I tighten my grip on my weapon and head for the last group. Only four left in my way now. Two green spirits and two blue spirits. Behind them, I can see a staircase.

_Whatever is on the third floor must be important to them. _

I ready myself for whatever the four remaining spirits may do, but I they surprise me with a new technique. They fire at me.

Using their own mass to create small projectiles, the four spirits spew out a wave of shots at me from the stairway. One of them nails me on the leg, and pierces me like a bullet. The pain is terrible; both hot and sharp. A small amount of blood drips from the injury on my knee.

_Ah! Need to move, now!_

The closest thing I can think of to use as cover is an old portrait. I hastily rip it off the wall and cover myself with it; propping it upright only shoulders like a shield. Thankfully, the spiritual projectiles can't pass through the physical object.

_Ok, I think I'm safe for a second._

I take this second to switch to my pistol. Slowly, I take aim out from behind the cover of the picture and prepare to shoot back.

I bring down the first, then a second. I retreat back to safety and reload more bullets before vanquishing the third the fourth from the cover. Each of the spirits becomes nothing but fleeting smoke in the foggy mansion. The painting successfully shielded me, after that it was just clockwork.

_Whew… thankfully, that worked. Now to move on._

I reload the gun once more and proceed up the stairs.

At the top is a grand black carpet leading forward to an intersection, where the hall becomes much larger. I follow the carpet and head down the grand hall here.

_This must be some kind of former living quarters or something. Doesn't seem used anymore though._

The hall leads up to a large door. I hear noises on the other side of it.

_That sounds like… music?_

Curious, I push open the door just slightly.

On the other side I see a strange sight. There are several evil spirits gathered in here, floating in place as if to listen to the music in this room. The crowd huddles around a stage set in the room. On the stage are three performers.

One is taller and more mature than the other two, and is wearing a white dress and has flowing silvery blue hair. A second matches her uniform with red instead of white and shorter light brown hair. A third serious faced one has blonde hair with a black dress. Each has a cone-shaped cap that matches each of their dresses.

In the back is the short brown haired girl, looking shy as she sticks to the far edge. Floating off to the side is the taller girl, donning a cute smile as she watches the third. The blonde has a tired look in her eyes as she stands before the crowd with her instrument and proceeds with a solo performance. She plays long haunting notes on her instrument, sending chills down my spine.

Each girl has their own music instrument in their hands. One is a flat board with some switches on it and buttons on the top, one is a brass tube like device with pipes and valves, and the one being played is a stringed instrument of some kind. I don't recognize any of these instruments they have with them. Music never was my thing, and I've never tried learning it; not to mention instruments are expensive and rarely used in my world.

_This music is… Just who are these people? They are giving me an eerie vibe. I think these people are ghosts too. They don't seem like they'd lock me in though. I wonder, does this have to do with their music?_

At that moment, I hear a creak. While I was watching them, I didn't notice that this door has a bad spring, and has been swinging ever so slowly open on its own. Before I can grab it, the door handle bumps into the wall with a thud. A thud just audible enough to be head over the slow notes of the music.

The spirits shift about as they notice me. The whispers of their voices slowly fill the room as they chatter about me.

_Ah… crap._

But rather than rush me like the ones before, they scatter. A mad storm of dust kicks up as the spirits simultaneously depart. Some zoom out through the windows, some fly over me and back out the hallway. In just a few seconds, everyone is gone save for the three girls.

The soloist player is just frozen; confused. The other two are glaring at me with anger and disgust.

"That… was… m-my solo. Ruined…" The black dressed girl mutters to herself.

I'm not quite sure what to say. "I… er… what was… I don't…"

The white clad girl shoots over to me, and is on top of me in a second.

"What on earth were you thinking coming here? This was a _private _performance for the spirits of the underworld! Now we have to reschedule! You idiot! There was a performance for the humans not even a month away! Why couldn't you wait? You just had to come sticking your head where you shouldn't have! Now the shy little spirits are gone, and the concert ruined! Idiot idiot idiot!" She shouts while hovering over me to make her even taller.

_What the? Now hold on a sec!_

I am only agitated by her sudden accusations. "I didn't come here to ruin your performance! Your door is locked by magic. I came in on accident, tried to leave, and got smacked by the door when it locked. Your 'shy spirits' have been fighting me tooth and nail to get here to ask for help for absolutely no reason. So, if you don't mind, can you let me out of this place?"

"Merlin…" Says the red girl with a groan. "You said you set the doors to lock at noon right?"

The girl in front of me lowers herself a bit and spins around. "Uhh… Well, yeah?"

"And did you lock from the inside or outside?"

She looks down. "The… um… inside?"

There is an awkward silence for a moment before the red girl continues.

"So… that means you locked us in instead of locking them out. Wow…" The red dress girl says with a groan.

"Huh?" The girl named Merlin says with a tilt of her head.

The red girl jumps up, angry at her fellow. "You got the spell backwards dummy! You locked the wrong side!"

The white clad girl is shocked. "L… Lyrica… I…"

The blonde sighs in frustration. "Ok, that's it Merlin. This is the absolute last time you're setting up our concerts. Final straw. From now on, you let me or Lyrica do the fine details. You can move the stuff."

"Lunasa!" Merlin whines. "That's not even fair! It was just one little mistake."

Lunasa just shakes her head and sighs again. "One little mistake cost us our concert. A human got in because of your carelessness. We'll have to reschedule and completely relocate this concert now. You should have known better."

Lyrica chuckles. "What kind of poltergeist doesn't know how to properly manipulate a door? Hehehe."

"Seriously Merlin. This was literally our shortest organized performance ever." Lunasa groans. "Not even a single song before we got cancelled."

Merlin pouts back at her. "Come on… how was I supposed to know any different?"

_So poltergeists are some kind of manipulative spirit. I guess that makes sense. It seems these girls just made a mistake in the end. I wish this could have been resolved peacefully. Nothing I can do about it now though._

_Well… I guess that solves everything more or less._

I replace my pistol. "So, can I leave now?"

Lunasa glances at me for just a second. "Hm? Oh, sure. Merlin, go unlock the door and get this human out of here."

She gives in with a sigh. "Ok…"

She turns to me and grabs me by the arm with a cold hand and starts dragging me out the room. Not wanting to argue any more, I follow her. Soon, I will be out of this place.

But then, a ghostly mist shrouds the door for a second before slamming shut.

"Hold on." Lyrica says from behind. "I have an idea."

I get another warning.

_Aaaand… here comes the hard part. I knew they wouldn't let me out this easily._

Merlin turns back around "What? What's up?"

Lyrica floats about the stage. "Well, we got our stage and things all set up here, and since we just lost our concert, I was maybe thinking we could have ourselves a little practice audience instead. We're playing for the human village next time aren't we?"

Merlin tilts her head a bit. "Eh?"

"Well we have a human, don't we?" Lyrica answers back. "We have an audience, and we have our stage up. Why don't we have a little fun with a practice concert?"

"We don't have time." Lunasa says with a depressed sigh. "We need to think of a way to make it up to these spirits. We let them down."

"Well, that can come after practice!" Lyrica chimes back to her. "Besides, don't you still want at least one solo today? This was the first time you've soloed in _forever! _You can't tell me you weren't excited about it. You've been talking about this for weeks! You were smiling in the mirror this morning too, thinking all about it! That's the first time I've seen you so happy in the morning."

"H-how do you know what I'm thinking?" Lunasa stammers. A slight blush on her face certainly does not deny Lyrica's words.

Lyrica just smiles. Her smile gets to Lunasa, who slowly begins to give into the idea.

"Well… I did really want that solo…" She says as her blush grows.

Merlin claps her hands together. "Then it's settled! I'll go get a chair, and we'll give our human a little mini-concert for practice! Great idea Lyrica!"

_What? I don't even get a say? _"Hold on just a minute girls! No, this is not a good idea! I have places to be! I can't stand around to listen to a concert."

Lyrica just turns her sly smile to me. "Oh, come on little human. It's your own private performance. Isn't that just great? You wanted to listen to us so badly after all."

Her voice and attitude reminds me of the Nightcaster. Poison behind innocent words. Her words hide a grudge. She knew this would get in my way. This is revenge for ruining the show earlier.

Before I can get a word in, something trips me, and I fall back into a worn out chair.

"Who said anything about standing? How about you just sit right over here, nice and comfy, and we'll start the show for you." Merlin says as she pushes the chair into me.

Lunasa, Merlin, and Lyrica take the stage in front of me.

Lyrica whispers to the other two. "Ok, ready? You lead us in Merlin. One… two…"

On three, the three girls give a dramatic aerial twirl and land all together.

"I'm Lyrica Prismriver!" Cheers the red clad one.

"Lunasa Prismriver." Says the black clad one.

"Aaaand I'm Merlin Prismriver! This is the Prismriver Sisters' Phantom Ensemble! Playing to you live today in our very own Prismriver estate!" Announces the white clad one.

_I don't have time to listen to a concert…_

I stand up out of the chair. "Hold on, I-ugh!"

All at once, the three girls cast their ghostly magic onto me. They seize control of my body and force me back into the chair.

"No no no." Lyrica says with her sly smile. "Audience must remain seated until the performance is over. Be a good target audience for us little human."

Merlin goes on without missing a beat. "First up is our very own Lunasa Prismriver taking us into the concert with her stringed solo."

Lunasa twirls the bow-like part of her instrument in her hand as she prepares to play. "My violin can outclass any Stradivarius; the finest of fine. This is a beauty of sound unlike anything you've ever heard."

I stand up again. "I don't even know what Stradivarius is! I don't know anything about music, and I do not have time to listen to this! Let-gah!"

"No no no." Lyrica says again as I am pushed back into the chair once more. Lunasa is not even fazed by the outburst, and raises back her bow as she prepares to strike the first note.

_Crap… this is not good. I don't have time to waste with this. I need to find a way out of here. Can I fight these girls? Not if I'm being pushed around like this. I… I…_

My spirit suddenly sinks as she plays her violin. The long haunting notes are incredibly powerful. They carry a beautiful sadness unlike anything I've heard before.

This song is so depressing. Each low note sings a tale of sadness. The sadness is more powerful on me than I thought possible.

The worries of the world begin to weigh heavily on my mind. Fear, doubt, and exhaustion become tenfold. Uncertainty binds me to inaction. I helplessly slump into my chair and look up at Lunasa with weary eyes as she continues her beautiful song. She looks right back at me as she hovers to the front of the stage closer to me as if to dedicate this next part to me. The power of the song increases as Lunasa passionately plays her piece.

_It's like… every pain in the world is carried in her notes. This music is truly unlike anything I've heard. It's beautiful, but… I just feel so hopeless.  
_

I reflect to the soothing melancholy of the violin. _A Slayer in a world of demons? What was I thinking? I'm underpowered, uninformed, and overall unprepared. I don't stand a chance here. This is nothing but a suicide mission. I may as well give up and try to think of some way to return before I do get killed. What was I thinking on even coming here?_

But then, I remember something.

_Nightcaster… Charity… That's why I came. That's what I was thinking. A demon witch who uses black powers for her own gain. She's killed and tormented innocent people for over a year now. I came here to destroy her before she causes more harm. I may be unprepared, but I can change that. I won't let her get away with what she's done. I'll defeat her. I have to. I must!_

My power as a Slayer, the strength it gives me, ignites a new flame in me that gives me just enough willpower to push past the depressing song and focus again.

_What is this depressing song? Is this some kind of curse music? To drain the spirit like that… I felt like I was going to die from the sadness alone! Whatever you were intending to do with me, it ends now!_

In a single swift motion, I stand up again and draw my magic stone.

_I hope this works…_

As expected, Lyrica and Merlin use their poltergeist powers to try and manipulate my body back into the chair. I struggle against it for just a second; just long enough to raise my stone and concentrate on an undirected blast.

The stone rumbles as I successfully counter the ghost girls. The blasting shockwave erupts around me, scattering the girl's magic and freeing me. Lunasa, who was playing right in front of me, is also struck. She staggers back, causing her bow to strike a screeching note as it bounces awkwardly off her violin. My mind lifts as the song ends.

_Ah, freedom! Now, time to break free of this place._

Lunasa is caught by Merlin before she falls. Lunasa quickly dusts herself off and stands next to her sisters. The three mimic the same action, crossing their arms as they look at me with disgust. Their instruments float around them, haunted by the poltergeists' powers.

"You ruined my solo again!" Lunasa shouts. "I was _almost_ done! I was just three notes away from masterpiece! How could you desecrate such beauty like this? It was the perfect solo piece! You ruined it! You insult me with your very presence!"

Merlin is just as angry. "How dare you insult my sister! You're disgusting! We tried to be nice to you, but you just _had_ to jump up and start shooting us! You're the absolute worst! I hope you fall in a hole and die!"

Lyrica is calmer, but her words only fuel her sisters' wrath. "Isn't he such a terrible person? Ruined our concert, insulted Lunasa's solo, and attacked us for no reason. Isn't her the worst of them? We should really do something to straighten up his bad attitude."

They buy it.

"Time you learned a lesson."

"You need to learn some manners human!"

_Well, I figured this wouldn't do much of their opinion of me, but I've got them in a fighting mood now. Now, I stand a chance of equaling them in combat._

I lower my stone and switch to my pistol. "Well then girls, how about we get started. We both know where this is going anyways."

Lunasa nods. "With you on the floor in pain."

Lyrica adds her input. "No, no. We should eat him up! It's been too long since we dined on human. I bet his soul is tasty!"

"I don't care what happens, but there's going to be a lot of hurt for you human!" Merlin shouts above her sisters.

_Just try, you wicked ghosts!_

It's me against the Prismriver girls now. I've made a terrible mistake in coming here, but I can't let myself die for it. I have to keep going. If these girls want to get in my way, then I'll deal with them like I've dealt with others in the past. I will not die here.

The girls haunting aura grows as their anger increases. The temperature drops as their ghostly powers swell and fill the room. This is going to be a hard fight.

The time for battle has come, and I am ready to match these ghosts' passion head on. I raise my pistol and prepare to fire the first shot at them

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my latest chapter. I had a ton of fun with this one.

While this was a lot of fun to write, it was also confusing. Memorizing the traits and appearances of the three girls took me a minute, but I think I got it right. Merlin is kind of clumsy and silly, Lyrica is a manipulator and joker, and Lunasa is serious and mellow. Together, they kind of make an odd group, and I tried to demonstrate that with a little silly argument about Merlin failing to set the private concert up right. I have a lot of fun writing personalities like this.

Yet I also wanted to add the strange, inhuman part to them as well. I'm fond of portraying the 'monster' side of the youkai girls along with their 'girl' side. As one of my reviewers guessed at, Joseph being a slayer tend to cause him a lot of trouble with youaki socially, not because he exterminates demons, but because he doesn't understand how they work. Although this time was an accident (interrupting the show), his understanding of demons and getting along with them is going to be a growing inner struggle as the story progresses.

Onto the next chapter. First fight with a touhou character in this story, and it's a one on three with the Prismriver girls! How is he going to survive this I wonder.

Thank you again. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	10. Chapter 10

**Where is your heart Slayer? Did you not come here to kill? Or are you finally seeing how wrong you are?**

* * *

Lyrica, Lunasa, and Merlin scatter in different directions at my pistol shot. I can't tell if I hit anything because of their sudden movements, but I'm not about to procrastinate either.

The three of them fly around and form a circle around me. They are a good distance away from me, but not out of range of my shooting. This room is big, but not large enough to escape a good aimed shot.

Each of the girls has their instruments poised as if to play; wreathed in a ghostly aura. Each has a hostile look in their eyes.

_Do they intend to attack me with their instruments? I wonder if they are going to use some kind of song magic…_

I stay cautious and rapidly glance between the three of them. I don't want to risk anymore blind shooting. There's no telling how strong these ghosts really are. I decide to wait a second…

Then, I hear a movement. I quickly spin around to face Merlin as she raises an end of her instrument to her lips. Then, with a series of short breaths, she plays a chorus of explosive notes. An upbeat rhythm that stirs the magic in the air to action.

Her instrument emits a streaming ray of magic towards me. I quickly step to the side and avoid it easily.

"That old piece?" Lunasa groans. "Alright… fine."

From behind, I hear Lunasa start to join in with a swinging string rhythm. Her music compliments Merlin's piece, and the beginnings of a joyous parade song form.

At the same time, I hear a whirling behind me as magic is cast at me from Lunasa. I throw myself down and dive away from piercing rays from Lunasa's instrument while also avoiding the sweeping beams Merlin's. As the song increases and grows in complexity, the power of the magic becomes greater. Faster and more numerous beams of colorful magic dance around the room trying to land on me.

_This song is going to kill me! I need to interrupt them._

I get up and quickly aim and fire at Merlin, the leader in the song. The bullets land on her before she can even react to their instantaneous flight. A squeak of pain and plume of smoke-like essence escapes her just like it escaped from the ghosts I defeated earlier.

Yet the song does not stop. The attack causes Merlin to flinch and let go of her instrument, but it just floats in place and keeps playing. She then grabs it and twirls away and continues playing as if nothing happened. No bullet holes or visible injuries. She's clearly stronger than any ordinary ghosts to be able to lose part of herself and continue on.

_What the? So they can take a few shots then. I guess I'll have to hit them harder._

I shoot my remaining bullets as Merlin twirls and evades around the edges of room. A trail of smoke escapes her as my attacks sever more essence from her, but she does not flinch this time and continues playing unhindered.

"No… no! That instrument sounds horrible! You need a sound like this."

_Ah, crap. I forgot about Lyrica!_

That voice was almost right behind. Before I can even turn around, Lyrica plays to the song. Her sound is a strange artificial sounding percussion. The booming beat of her instrument sends an attack right into my back.

The attack peppers my back like a shotgun. Several prickling needles hit me. I stagger forward in pain. I don't think I'm bleeding, but it feels like getting stabbed over and over.

Lyrica's continued playing generates another blast of needles. A second hit, and I'm on the ground in pain.

I struggle to raise myself up off the ground. "Argh! Mmph…"

_These girls are no pushovers… I can't believe I'm getting beaten by some teenage musicians._

I stand back up and run a hand over my back to feel for injuries. The pain isn't too bad, and I'm relieved when I find no blood. It was just a sting.

But it's not over for me yet.

"Ok, here we go! One, two…"

On a silent three, the girls, now together, resume the attack song with a new passion. Merlin leads the piece with swinging song of her instrument. Lunasa supports with subtle bass notes, and Lyrica sets the rhythm with thundering percussion. All the while, streams from Merlin, beams from Lunasa, and spark showers from Lyrica form a wild light show. With their song playing, the girls dance around the room and coordinate their attacks on me.

Merlin's piece has turned the fight into a festival of death.

_Whoa! _I duck away from a pair of lasers. _This fight is going badly. I need to stop the song!_

I reload my gun with nine more bullets and fire on the three. They all take a few hits as they fly and bounce around the room together, but injuring them isn't stopping the song. They aren't slowing down even a little. There's no telling how strong their form is. I could very well run out of bullets before they even begin to weaken at this rate.

I need a change in strategy. I need to break their concentration and bring them into melee.

_Hopefully this works just as well as it did last time. Time to use the stone again._

I grab the bluish rock and hold it towards Merlin, ignoring the two girls next to her, and fire it. The blast causes her to stagger a bit and let go of the instrument, but again, the song doesn't stop. Her haunted instrument continues to play and cast more magic.

_Damn! No good! I need to get closer. A wide blast should knock them and all their instruments down at once._

"Grrraaa!"

With a shout I charge head first into the magical volley. Beams and rays whirl around me, and sparks pepper my chest and arms, but I pour everything I have into my sprint and try to close range.

I reach close range soon enough. Before they can get away, I use the stone to create a wide ranged blast. A shockwave of force knocks them all to the ground, and sends their instruments clattering across the floor with them. All at once, the song comes to a screeching halt.

I stand over the three girls as they pull themselves up.

Merlin glances up at me with fury in her eyes. "Why you…"

She jumps up and zooms up to me with a fist raised back. "Take this human!"

Merlin is the biggest girl of the three, and offers the most physical threat. But, she certainly is no fighter. Her punch is easily avoided by me. In one swift motion, I replace the magic stone and draw my knife with my other hand and swing it into her.

The slash lands on her gut, causing her to double over in pain. I quickly transfer the blade from my off hand to my good hand, and bring an 'x' cut down on her. The blade passes through her like air, but I can clearly see the massive amounts of smoky essence escaping her as my blade passes through.

My attacks are getting to her. She's starting to weaken.

"Ugh! Ouch! That hurts! That really hurts!" She cries as I slash her with my blade.

Lyrica then zooms around her and floats at her side, instrument in two hands. "Leave my sister alone!"

She raises the board-like instrument and brutally slams me over the head from above.

_Ow._

The attack stings, but Lyrica is the weakest physically. Her small arms give me nothing more than a bruise. Both of them have made a mistake in trying to meet me in melee.

I raise my blade back and deal them both an attack. I swing through Merlin and up into Lyrica's instrument. The instrument surprisingly blocks my blade, but the impact knocks it from her hand and leaves her open. I use that weakness to step around Merlin and bring my blade down on Lyrica.

"Aaah!" She shrieks.

I hear Lunasa from behind. "Ugh, come on you two! Use magic! He's going to beat you in a fight!"

At that same second, I hear a series shrill piercing note from Lunasa's stringed instrument. Magic bolts begin to fly from behind in rapid fire. The inaccurate attack leaves me time to escape, but only barely.

Merlin sways uneasily through the air as she returns to her sister and retrieves the floating instrument at her side. Lyrica isn't as badly hurt, but she still rubs the sore spot on her head where my blade went through her.

"Are you two ok?" Lunasa asks.

Lyrica shrugs off her pain. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

"I don't feel so good…" Merlin says with a moan.

Lunasa nods. "Fine. You two stay back. I can solo for a bit. Lyrica, help get Merlin back up."

"Sure thing." Lyrica says.

"Thanks sis…" Merlin whispers.

At that, the two of them skirt towards a corner. Lyrica starts to channel some of her magic into Merlin as she attempts to heal her.

Lunasa then moves towards me with her instrument poised at her side. "Are you ready for my next solo? This one's going to touch a lot more than the heart."

"Really now? You don't stand a chance without your sisters." I retort.

"I'm the eldest of us. I have more experience than either of them. I have centuries against you human. You won't beat me so easily." She counters.

_We'll see about that ghost!_

Then, she begins to play out her attack. With incredible speed, she rapidly plays out a long string of notes on her instrument. The quick, shrill notes are both haunting and powerful.

Following her sounds, more golden magical bolts fly towards me in rapid fire like before. She stares at me with her intense quiet stare as she attacks me with magic.

_Ah, I need to shoot back! No way am I getting close._

I put away my knife, but before I can raise my gun, a few shots hit me. Stabbing pain seeps into my arms and shoulder where they hit.

_Argh! This girl is taking this seriously now! I need to be more careful._

I take a few steps back before I resume retrieving my gun and reload it. I waste no time in firing back on her. The first shot hits, but she quickly evades my aim on the next.

Still playing her tune, Lunasa weaves and bobs about, trying to throw off my aim. I try firing a shot at her, but I unfortunately miss due to her dodging.

_Ah, these youkai are fast! How did they learn to dodge around like that? Come on, hold still!_

Lunasa does not hold still. A few more hits land on me, and I can only barely keep up with her.

_Come on, come on!_

I reload the few wasted shots and try again. I try anticipating her moves to get ahead of her movements. She's pretty erratic, but not so random that I can't make a guess.

_There you are._

I fire a pair of shots right as she dodges into my aim. The bullets hit her, and she grunts in pain. She tries dodging harder, but her movements just become more predictable and she gets hit more. Her essence escapes her as she starts to suffer.

Agitated, she stops playing for a second and draws a card out and holds it up.

_Spell card? I've never had one of these used on me. Shou's spell card destroyed everything in front of her. What is this going to do to me? I better get ready to run._

"Fake Stings: Pseudo Stradivarius! You're done for now human!" She declares as the card in her hand burns away.

She then turns her focus to her instrument. She strikes her instrument hard as she vehemently plays a gorgeous musical piece.

At the same time, a massive display of magic erupts from all around her. A huge sweeping volley of magic orbs flies at me in rapid fire. Colors of red and blue distinguish between fast and strong projectile types. A varied attack that offers no room for me to counter.

_Ooooh crap!_

With no way to slip through the sheer amount of bullets, I throw myself sideways as hard as possible to get out of the way. I barely escape, but the attack wave is moving towards me yet again.

In a desperate effort to stop her, I raise my aim and fire every bullet I can at her. I have but a second before that attack brings me back into range, and I won't survive its entire duration. I need to end her now.

_Come on! Go down!_

Thankfully, I manage to save myself as one of my bullets strikes the bow right out of her hand. A lucky shot, but still a good save. The music stops, and so does her magic.

"Ugh! Disgusting human! I'll get you back for that!" Lunasa growls as she drifts back to get her bow off the ground.

_Whew._

I get up and reload my weapon yet again. I have a harder time getting the bullets though as my ammo pockets are running out. I do a quick check and would guess I only have enough to reload a few more times before I'm completely out.

Then, Lyrica and Merlin join back up with Lunasa.

"I'm here. Let's finish him off." Lyrica says as she brings her strange instrument back up.

Lunasa immediately gives a quick glance to Merlin. "Are you ok now?"

Merlin still looks pretty weak, but her confidence has returned. "Yeah. Fine for now. Are you ready? Time we beat this human down for good!"

_This is not good…_

Lunasa nods. "Ok. Ready for a spell card? Let's just do the one we always do for this card. Merlin, you start, then I'll lead, and Lyrica, do the pipe organ this time, not the piano. Piano sounds weak with this one, remember? Ok, on three. One, two…"

Lunasa pulls out another spell card and raises it high. Together, they declare it.

"Noisy Sign: Live Poltergeist!"

Then, together, they begin playing a creepy ghostly ensemble together. Merlin once again leads, but her instrument is now a soft breezy instrument instead of a booming one like before. Lunasa then sets an easy pace with her strings, playing a deeper, slower melody unlike before. Lyrica's instrument plays a loud, almost creepy, chorus of music in the background.

The song is a spooky melody that sends chills down my spine. It seems their instruments are capable of producing different sounds outside their instrument's apparent use, especially Lyrica who seems to be able to play any sound with her advanced synthetic instrument.

I don't have time to enjoy the music though. The magic in the air responds to the girl's haunting song. Magic orbs fly out in lazy waves to constrict my movements, and streams of lasers whirl around the air and fly towards me on each part.

_I don't have the bullets to spare to fight all three of them with ranged. I'll have to make the knife work this out. Man… this is going to be hard. I have no choice but to rush._

I wait for the first wave of lasers to approach before ducking forward and passing underneath them. The next wave homes in on my lower profile, forcing me to try and dodge into the surrounding orbs.

_Oh this is not good!_ I frantically think while ducking through the large orbs of reddish magic. It's only a few seconds before I slip up and hurt myself.

An orb explodes like a fireball against my side. The injury is not severe, but the pain is bad. Immediately after, a homing laser pierces me in the shoulder; more pain. Blood runs out from a coin sized hole in my shoulder.

"Nngh! Guh… Come on!" I growl as I press onward towards the sisters.

They keep backing away from me as I work my way towards them. Still, I'm slowly getting closer. The wall is coming up, and they will have no choice but to face me.

Another laser barely grazes against me, but I keep going. When I feel I get close enough, I duck down and reach for my knife.

"HAA!" With a shout I rush head first at the three. An orb brushes past me as I run, but the near hit only causes a little soreness. Another orb does hit me in the chest, but my forward momentum keeps me going through the attack.

As an experienced Slayer, I have faced worse pains; worse attacks. These girls are strong. Strong enough to kill a human easily. Strong enough to kill another demon or ghost just as easily. But I don't die easily.

_Time to end this fight._

I close the gap between us and bring my knife into a wide slash. The song descends into chaos Lyrica tries to defend with her instrument, but it fails as a shield and just gets knocked aside.

"Oh no, Lyrica! We had this! Now we've lost the song! I could have pushed him back!" Lunasa complains as she prepares for my impact.

"Then push him back now!" Lyrica angrily shoots back.

The three girls direct their ghost magic to try and force me back, but I fight against it and bring my blade against Lunasa. I quick slice breaks her concentration, allowing me to focus on the other two.

"Ah! NO!" Lyrica panics and begins to step away from me.

I grab her and pull her into a stab. A massive amount of energy escapes her as the blade pierces her.

Suddenly, I'm grabbed from behind by Merlin. "Get away from her!"

_Again with you jumping on me. Time to finish you off too._

I quickly spin around and cast her off before dealing her an overhand chop with my knife. She may be confident, but she is still badly injured and weak. My slash shatters her stable condition, and she immediately slumps to the ground with a pained moan.

I then turn to face Lunasa, who has floated away from me and is preparing to play a song again. I switch to my pistol one final time and spare a couple of more precious bullets to halt her efforts.

"Argh! N-no!" Lunasa lands and almost slips and falls to the ground. She tries to regain balance, but only slips and falls on her back.

Lunasa is staggered, Lyrica is injured, and Merlin is collapsed. The fight is nearly over for them.

I stand there, gun in hand, waiting for any of them to make a move against me. But all I hear is pained heavy breathing and angered whispers. No attacking.

Lunasa slowly pulls herself up. She manages to stand and raise her instrument again to play again, but stops at the last second. She stands there frozen with her instrument in hand and eyes cast downward. She mutters to herself, angry and confused.

After a few seconds of silence, Lunasa finally looks up at me. Her eyes are no longer angry, but sad…

"You… you win. We yield. Please, human, stop… we can't take anymore." Lunasa pleads.

_What? _

Lyrica angrily jumps up and down next to me. "What? Lunasa! You can't just surrender for all of us without at least talking about it! I can still take him! You can still take him! We can fight!"

Lunasa gives her sister a serious look. "Look at yourself Lyrica. You're barely standing. And look at Merlin! She's done for! If she keeps fighting, she's going to get _exorcised! _Do you want to do that Lyrica?"

Lyrica looks at the collapsed Merlin. Her power has been reduced to a minimal level now. Merlin is a disorganized mess, and her body is now partially see-through. She's nothing but a shadow of a ghost now. If I struck her a few more times, she would most likely disappear like the evil spirits did.

Lyrica isn't too much better. She still has a solid form, but her trembling stance, heavy sweat, and hard breathing all show her weakness. Lunasa herself can barely hold onto her instrument with her shaky hands.

Lyrica looks at me, but says nothing. The soft look in her eyes already tells me she's lost the will to fight. Slightly watery eyes that say 'stop, please'.

I could just destroy them, as I've clearly won, but I don't feel the same way about attacking these demons in this world. In fact, I feel worse; like nothing good came of this. These don't feel so much as monsters, as they do just a different race of humans. Their powers and existence might be strange, yet I feel something… not evil… in them. I feel something… different that I can't describe.

Something that makes me think killing them would be a wrong. Even though my duty binds me to protect the world from supernatural forces, I just can't bring myself against these young girls. This was all just a misunderstanding gone horribly wrong anyways. There was never any justice in this fight.

Against my better judgment, I reload and store my weapon. The fight is over, and I have no intention of killing anyone today.

"Fine…" I say with a sigh. "We'll just say you lost and leave it at that. No need for any more trouble."

Lunasa speaks up from behind me. "Thank you sir. I'm sorry... um…"

"Joseph Mateba." I reply. "There's no need to be formal now."

"Yeah, don't thank him for beating us up Lunasa." Lyrica says.

"Quiet you smart-alack." Lunasa warns. "We should thank him for not utterly destroying us. This human is clearly some kind of exterminator. Show some respect so he won't kill us."

"Uuh… Ahnn…"

A moan from Merlin emerges next to me. Slowly, she starts to recover from her dazed collapsed state.

She slowly stirs from her flat position on the ground.

Somehow, I can't bring myself to watch this girl struggle. I kneel down and help pick her up.

"Easy there. Here let me help you up…" I quietly say as I pull her up to her feet. Her faded ghostly body weighs nothing, so it is quite easy.

Her eyes go wide when she sees me. "Y-you? Ah! No, stop! I can't take anymore! I don't want to be exterminated! I'm not ready for the afterlife yet!"

She struggles and pushes away from me, but her arms have no strength. I just ignore her and continue to lift her up off the ground.

"Calm down." Lunasa says as she walks over to me and takes Merlin off of my shoulder and stands her up.

"Geez Merlin! Talk about dramatic." Lyrica says with a weary chuckle.

Merlin looks around confused. "Huh? What? What happened?"

"You surrendered." I say.

"Surrender? Oh… oh no…" Merlin trails off.

Merlin looks down, somewhat saddened. "So… we lost… um… yeah… w-well what happens now?"

_Hm? _"What do you mean?"

"Well, you kind of beat us up. It's not like we'll tell you no if you asked us to do something now that we're finished." Lunasa explains.

"Lunasa!" Lyrica whines. "Don't give him ideas!"

_Well, I guess they are kind of at mercy right now. I don't think they'd have anything to help me though. Maybe I should ask anyways?_

"Well, I certainly don't want to push you around, but I could use a little help." I explain.

The three silently wait for me to continue

_I guess that's a little vague. Maybe I should ask about… er… there really isn't much I can think of. Maybe on an off chance they know the librarian in the mansion or how to get in?_

"I'm looking for some magic spells, just a few simple ones, and I've heard the Scarlet Devil Mansion might have a few, but I've been told it's no place for humans. Is there any way I might be able to enter normally?" I ask.

Lunasa immediately shakes her head. "No. If you want to go there, you can expect a fight the whole way. Remilia, the master there, hates humans. Not to mention the librarian herself isn't very friendly. I doubt an exterminator like you would be able to get on friendly terms."

_And I'm nearly out of bullets. Crap. I guess I'll have to hold on getting there. I really wasn't expecting so much fierce opposition this early. I think I need to prioritize finding Nitori about weapons first. I'm going to need them._

"Do you know a kappa by the name of Nitori?" I ask next.

"Hey, that reminds me. Aren't the kappa putting up one of those big fancy bazaars where you can buy weird stuff soon? I thought we were doing a performance there soon." Lyrica asks her sisters.

"We canceled that one in favor for this one." Lunasa replies. "We did the fall bazaar last year, and we were going to take it easy this year."

She then focuses on me. "I don't know a 'Nitori' specifically, but you can meet all kinds of kappa in the bazaar. It starts tomorrow, and goes on all week. It would be a good time to go find her. It's set up in between Genbu Marsh and the village where the humans live; closer to the village.

_Perfect. _"Thanks."

An awkward silence sets in.

"So… is that it?" Merlin asks me in a tired voice.

_Maybe I should ask about magic. I haven't gotten too much use out of Intuition yet, but it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few extra spells if they have anything I can use._

"Do you have any useful magic books or anything like that? I need some magic to defeat an enemy of mine. Anything that might…" I trail off as Lunasa starts shaking her head no.

"We aren't magicians, we're musicians." Lunasa replies. "Our youngest sister Layla dabbled a little with witchcraft, but she's long gone, and her secrets with her."

"I see." _Figured it wouldn't' be that easy._

"Yo, human. Are you going to fix that?" Lyrica suddenly asks whilst pointing at my shoulder.

It's bleeding just a little bit, and the pain isn't nearly as bad, but it's still a clear injury that will certainly worsen if left alone.

_I think I have a few bandages for this._

I take out a bandage from an inside pocket on my jacket and apply it to my shoulder. The ointment on the bandage stings a bit, but the healing formula will take care of this little scrape in a few minutes.

I shrug off the lingering pain. "That should do it. Thanks again."

Silence again. It seems these girls are still a bit nervous of me.

_I think I should just leave if I can. The sun will be going down soon, and I want to get back to the village before it gets dark. And… I feel kind of bad for defeating them._

_Just one last question…_

"By chance, any small chance at all, have you seen a young brown-haired magician girl with red runes on her arm? I'm looking for her." I ask.

They all shake their head no.

_Fine then. _"Ok. I guess that's it then. If that's all you know, then I need to leave."

Lunasa looks to her two younger sisters. "Why don't you two get some rest, I'll send him out."

They silently agree and pick up their instruments and shuffle out of the room and into the mansion; tired and weak from my fighting. They depart, leaving me alone with Lunasa.

Lunasa silently leads me out of the mansion and back into the entrance. All the while, my guilt over the whole situation worsens. I didn't feel so bad fighting them, but now that they've surrendered and tried reasoning with me when I failed to do so myself makes me feel awful.

In a few minutes, Lunasa finds the door and unlocks with a spell of hers.

"Lunasa…" I begin. "About this mess… I'm really sorry. I never meant to cause any harm."

"Don't be. It's Gensokyo. Fighting is the way the world works. It's certainly not the first time we've been attacked and beaten." Lunasa says with a sigh.

"Sorry…" I say again, feeling even worse now.

Lunasa turns to me. "If you're really sorry, can you tell me one thing?"

"Hm?"

Lunasa looks down a bit. "Was… was my solo any good?"

_Huh? Solo? That piece she made me listen to? Hmm…_

I remember the pained, slow rhythm of her unnamed solo piece. It was sad, yet so beautiful and soothing.

"It was perfect." I reply. "I would love to listen to your music under less troubling circumstances next time. As I've said a few times now. I have a deadly enemy out there, and I can't waste any time."

"I know, that's what got you so fired up in the first place." Lunasa says. "But… thanks for at least listening for a little bit. If you do really want to make it up to us, then come visit us at the concert in the human village two weeks from now. There's nothing I love more than seeing a new fan."

I nod. "I'll add to my objectives list. Hopefully I'm done before then."

Lunasa smiles a bit at that. A small smile that I think is a pleasant change for her.

But the smile quickly changes back to seriousness. "Alright. Out you go."

I step out the door and wave goodbye. Lunasa does not wave back right away, but soon finds it appropriate to do so. The door closes as I walk away, leaving me outside and alone once more.

The sun is just starting to go down. The fog around the place is gone at this time, allowing me a clear view of this large lake. On the other side, I can see a grand estate that is the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

I look back at the Prismriver Estate. This whole accident has left me both tired and doubtful. I cannot help but wonder what came over me at the end of that fight. About how I couldn't bring myself to vanquish my enemy.

These people I've met. Shou, Nazrin, Yoshika, The Prismriver girls, Alice, and Marisa… They're all demons in some way. They're my enemies, yet… they aren't my enemies. I'm starting to feel less and less confident here in Gensokyo. I may be a demon killer, but that doesn't seem to mean I'm a good person here when all the demons are just ordinary people trying to live their lives. According to this world, I'm just a murderer and a bully.

I rub my forehead as I think. _Just what am I supposed to do here? I just can't seem to win no matter what I do. I've failed to get ahead of the Nightcaster, and I've harmed innocent people today. Did I handle that wrong? Maybe I shouldn't have jumped at them like that. Maybe… _

_Am I… looking at these people the wrong way? Maybe these youkai… aren't bad people after all? I've never met a good demon before, but every one I've met here has only been reasonable to me. She said this is the way Gensokyo works, fighting each other to resolve problems, but is that any excuse for my actions?_

_Argh! I just don't understand Gensokyo at all! How can I get attacked by someone and feel bad for defeating them at the same time? It just doesn't make sense! Was I at fault here? What was I supposed to do?_

I sigh. _I just don't understand… what is right and what is wrong here?_

I shake my head and resume heading back towards the human village to find the bazaar nearby.

_No sense in lingering on the past now. I need to find this kappa girl. If she could somehow manufacture weapons and ammo to keep me supplied and ready to take on my enemies, than it would be a lifesaver. If I can't then I don't know what I'll do. I hope Nitori is as skilled as they say she is. It may take some convincing to get it, but I need her help._

I leave the worries of my conflict with the poltergeist girls behind me and head back towards the road and to the human village. A change in plans, but I won't be getting distracted anymore.

It's time I made some progress in leveling the playing field against the Nightcaster. Starting with Nitori.

* * *

Thank you reading my latest chapter

I had a lot of fun writing this one. I also had some challenges though; such as how to interpret Lyrica's "Illusionairy sound" or just how the fights work in general. In my other story, I interpreted character strength based on thier boss level in the games, but I was starting to find this confusing, with some characters being in player roles in later games, and some characters having different levels in different games. This time, I went with a more realstic approach, and let motives, abilities, and experience determine the power of characters instead of using canonical interpretations based on the games. While some 'boss fights' might make characters stronger outside of what might be expected, I generally will focus on who the character exactly is to estimate how much of a challenge they will make and go from there.

As previously mentioned, Joseph's ideas of demons are going to be continuously challenged. His monloguing at the end is one of my attempts to show how he is beginning to question his status as a demon hunter in a world where demons aren't all bad. This gets pushed aside at the last second, but will keep coming up a few chapters later.

Thanks again for reading. My next chapter will hopefully be ready soon.


	11. Chapter 11

**The plan is revealed. The world will unravel before her power. You must stand as a light against the coming darkness. Will you succeed?**

* * *

"Come on! Grrrr!"

From the side of the round magic casting chamber, I watch the young Nightcaster struggle with her spell.

In the middle of this round marble chamber, Charity Carpathia holds open a rift to her self-proclaimed shadow realm. From what I can tell, it is a hellish place of fire and darkness, filled with youkai of the strangest kind.

But she is far beyond that world now. Through her summoning portal, the world zooms by as she attempts to reach further and further into the black edge of her realm. For what reason, I do not know. But, I do know she is straining herself terribly hard.

Naturally, it is only a matter of time before her portal erupts.

She loses control, and the spell backfires and explodes into a shockwave. I draw my hand through the air to form a quick border between me and the incoming fragments of fire and magic. Charity on the other hand, is blasted backwards and skids across the marble room. If this room had not been spelled to protect against accidents like this, the explosion would have brought down the roof, and Charity would have died.

None of this surprises me though, for it is the fifth attempt. Once again, Charity fails to accomplish her goal; a goal still unknown to me.

Charity slowly gets up. She quickly changes from wide-eyed shock to pure fury. Her eyes begin to burn brightly once again as her magic flares up and erupts at her angered scream

"AAAAAARRRGH!"

I raise yet another temporary border to separate me from the blast of fire before trying to calm her down. "Charity dear, there's no need to get upset."

She continues to fume as she paces around the now empty room. "But I can do this! I know I can! Gensokyo has enough magic for me to draw on to reach it, but I just keep falling short… I don't know why this is so hard! Argh! This is so frustrating!"

_Finally a hint. _"And what would that be that you are trying to reach?"

Charity takes a few deep breaths before replying. "There's something I want back there. Something powerful."

_An interesting development. _"Oh? I thought you were interested in spell books for power. I thought for sure you would be visiting Voile soon."

"Well…" She thinks as she continues to pace. "Spell books are nice, but I only use them as a reference to make my own spells. I don't copy other people; I just reinvent old ideas into my new magic. I write all my own spells in summons. Books just make that easier."

She looks up as she continues to reflect, gesturing with the wall passing Chisel still in her hands. "Ah… but then… I read those old books you gave me, and I understood the truth of this world. The power isn't in spell books or artifacts. It's the people themselves that have all of Gensokyo's power. More than enough power for me to attain my ultimate spell. My long sought treasure. With the right help, I can reach my goal and retrieve my prize of the prison of the shadow realm."

_My my. It seems she is learning fast. This looks like an incident waiting to happen. Very interesting. This will certainly give Gensokyo a fun little stir. She's fitting right in. Hmhmhm…_

I suppress my chuckle and ask another question. "So what is this thing you seek, and why can you not reach it?"

She smiles a bit. "Ah, but that's my secret Yukari. You'll just have to wait and find out!"

But then, she begins to slump a bit. "As for your second question… Well, there are barriers to overcome. Two challenges. A cage at the bottom of the abyss of the shadow realm holds my treasure tight. The cage is not actually a cage, but an indestructible wall that blocks access and negates all spells."

Her smile then returns as she twirls the chisel. "But I'm ready for that part. Easy easy!"

_Ah, that makes sense. She intends to surpass this cage with the chisel._

Then, back into her slump she goes. "But first, I need to overcome the abyss. A near endless expanse of nothingness surrounding the cage. I thought I would have the power to reach it on my own… but it's just too far. The cage is actually outside the shadow realm itself, so I just get weaker the further I reach. I think I may need yet another person's help. I would ask for yours… but I'm the only one who knows what to look for. You would just get lost."

"Indeed. If I do not know where to open a gap, I cannot do so." I note.

"If there was only some way to close this abyss…" She says to herself.

_I see. Perhaps… _"Perhaps you would do well to read the Gensokyo Chronicle yet again."

She tilts her head sideways a bit. "Hm?"

"I think there is a certain someone who may be able to help with your distance problem." I add. "I'll let you figure that part out."

She looks down and thinks. "Hm…"

I open a gap and turn away. "Well, this was all very fun to see, but it is late, and I wish for some sleep. I will leave you to your practices. Goodnight Nightcaster."

"Hm…" I all I get back as Charity turns away and goes back to her study.

It won't take her long to figure out who to look for. I'm interested to see how she will handle this interaction. I've seen this girl's capacity for destruction, but how will she handle a situation where cooperation is required?

I will see soon enough.

* * *

I take another drink of water from my canteen as I walk forward. _Good thing I remembered to fill this in the temple before I left…_

Darkness sets in quickly over the landscape as I depart from the lake. By the time I reach the fork and begin heading back to the village, the sun is mostly gone.

My efforts to reach the Scarlet Devil Mansion and seek the aid of their library have failed. A terrible mistake had me encounter three powerful poltergeist girls instead. I'm tired, frustrated, and low on ammo. What's more, I hear even more news of the hostilities that the mansion holds for me. I certainly won't survive entering that place as I am right now.

And now, I am alone here in the dark. I was lucky in the forest on my first night, but I am in the middle of a wide open area, and all I can see is pitch black around me. Thankfully, my good eyes let me see the path in the early dark, but not much more. Soon, I will be completely blind under this cloudy night.

_This is not good. I hope nothing is out here… I don't stand a chance like this…_

Thankfully, it is not a youkai I find out here. Instead, I find a light.

_A lamp? I wonder who that is._

The light is directly on the road ahead, so there is no way for me to avoid it if I don't want to step off the road. So, I continue towards the light ahead.

But as I do, the light seems to move away.

_Are they moving away from me?_

I can't see any motions in the light. It's as if the light is going out as I get closer. I can't tell how much further away this thing is at this rate.

But soon, I get a confirmation of distance I can use. A voice. A soft humming voice of a young girl.

The humming gets louder as I approach the dimming light ahead. I soon reach the voice, but by the time I do the light is almost gone. I can make out the outline of some kind of stand, but not much else.

_What is happening to my vision? Is this some kind of magic?_

"Oh my! Another night blind traveler? Deary me, how strange! This Gensokyo darkness just does horrible things to these poor humans' eyes." States a girl in a sing-song voice.

"Who's there?" I ask the shadow behind the stall.

"Oh, you cannot see me? You truly are suffering from night blindness then. It's a horrible thing isn't it? These cloudy nights just ruin the eyesight of you humans." She states.

_Just who is this girl? I wonder if my Intuition spell will help._

I turn away just slightly as if looking around and cast my spell while she can't see my hand gesture.

When I look back, I can see the girl clearly as every facet on her emits a soft bluish glow. The rest of the world is dark, but she is completely clear to me now.

The girl is a young girl, about a teenager physically, but clearly a youkai. She has a pair of soft gray feather wings and gray eyes. Her hair is an unusual vibrant pink, and is topped with a winged hat that matches her own wings. Her dress consists of a simple brown cloth dress that is slightly splattered with stains.

Her singing tone may be sweet, but now that I can see her sly expression more clearly, I know instantly this is some kind of trick.

The mystery girl goes on with her scheme. "Ah, but I have something that may help you dear human. You could pay a fortune to have that crack doctor in Eientei cure your blindness, but for less than a fraction of the price you could buy one of my special grilled lamprey sliders! This tasty treat is healthy, and has all the nutrients you need to counter blindness. You look like you have much traveling to do, but you won't get far with eyes like that. Just a little coin and my lamprey will heal you right up!"

_Enough of this crap. You're just like those con-artist peddlers back on my world._

I surprise the girl by quickly drawing out my knife and pointing it towards her. She flinches as I aim the weapon at her stomach.

"W-whoa! Hey! What are you-"

"Release me from this darkness now!" I demand.

The girl makes a defiant lie. "Hey! No need to get upset at me! It's not like I'm the-OW! Hey! Keep that thing away from me!"

I poke her yet a second time; reaching over the stand and lightly prodding her in the chest as a warning.

"Now." I say again. "I can see you as clear as day with my magic. You're little trick won't work on me. I suggest you give up now."

An agitated sigh, and then my vision returns. The light is bright again, and I can clearly see the youkai and the stand she owns.

"Alright! Geez! Just back off! I'm just trying to make a living here." The girl says with a groan.

I cancel Intuition and sheath my weapon. "Thank you…"

The stand she operates has a grill and some kind of eel-like things set on sliders to cook. A food stand; one with wheels and a handle to allow it to be moved. She actually does appear to have a business; albeit a shady one.

The girl crosses her arms and glares at me. "If I wasn't working… if I had my spell cards, then I would cut you down to size in an instant, human."

"Keep your scams to yourself next time." I shoot back.

"Scam? I'm not scamming anyone!" She defends.

_Liar. _"Really now? Then what was that darkness thing? You were quite adamant on the fact that your food can cure this supposed spontaneous blindness. It must be awful convenient to have the power to blind isn't it?"

She readily defends her stance. "It's just a promotional display! I take the night blindness off if they walk away. It doesn't hurt anyone. And for your information human, lamprey _does _promote good eyesight. I just do this little trick to grab late night customers is all! I swear I've never conned anyone out of anything in my entire life!"

_I don't have time to argue this… _"Whatever. Maybe if you had a decent stand and worthwhile product, then you wouldn't need to trick customers to get a sale. Just leave me alone demon."

I begin to turn away and leave…

"Hold on just a minute there!" The girl shouts from behind.

_Ugh…_

I turn back to the girl to find her red in the face; absolutely furious.

"I'm not letting you walk away with that comment! My grill serves nothing but the best in Gensokyo! I bet a tall and mighty adventurer like you can't even begin to comprehend the skill and fine art that goes into gourmet cooking. You can call me a con-artist all you want, but I won't stand for my hard work and passion to be insulted by some passerby!" She rages.

She then yanks one of the sliders off the grill and thrusts it out to me. "Try this. I dare you to eat this and say it's not good! This grilled lamprey is spiced and marinated with my own secret recipes. Some of these ingredients don't even grow in Gensokyo! It's the absolute best! I dare you to try and say otherwise!"

I sigh. _This girl is ridiculous. She just can't take a loss can she?_

"Fine…" I groan. "I'll try it…"

I take the hot lamprey out of her hands and delicately take a bite out of the eel like fish.

_Hm? This… is really good! I didn't think this would taste like this at all._

The meat is tender, yet not sot and fishy-like as I suspected it might be. It has a strong spice, but is not painfully spicy either. Everything is flawless.

The youkai girl grins. "Oh? What's that look? Is that _ecstasy _I see? It's good isn't it? Certainly not some worthless product like you said. Let it be known that Mystia Lorelei takes the upmost pride in her work."

_I can't counter that. I won't deny that this is some of the best tasting fish I have ever had…_

I finish the small meal faster than I thought I would let myself and set it down the leftover stick.

I resign with a sigh. "Fine. You have me there. That was good. Maybe I'm mistaken about you."

She crosses her arms and smiles wide in victory. "Ha! You bet you are! Calling me a con-artist and insulting my food… You humans are all arrogant little fools. You should know better than to question an experienced youkai like me!"

_Ugh. Does this girl's pride have no bounds? This is becoming a huge waste of time._

I apologize in hopes of ending the situation. "Fine. Mystia was it? I'm sorry. I meant no insult. I've just had a bad day and I'm a sour mood. "

"Yes well…" Her expression and tone softens a bit. "Try being a little more tactful next time, hm?"

_I guess that's that. It's gotten late thanks to this mess. I wonder if the Kappa bazaar is open now that I've wasted all this time._

I risk asking Mystia a question. "Hey, question, do you know where the kappa bazaar is? I'm looking for someone."

Surprisingly, she gives a straight answer. "If you're facing the village gates than it's to the left of the village. Should be opening soon actually. They open at midnight on the day of the event for the night-time youkai and whatnot. You can go there if you want, but I don't recommend humans going there when it's the youkai's turn to shop. A fool like you is bound to get killed. "

_I don't think I should stand around either. For some reason, I have the feeling that the Nightcaster will be up to something soon._

"Thanks for the warning. I think I can handle myself though." I reply.

She huffs. "You're funeral."

I then turn away. "Well, I'll be going. Bye for now."

"Right… bye." She says with another huff. "Just remember to straighten up that attitude. Oh, and I'm not forgetting about this either! Next time we meet, I want a battle! You hear me human?"

_Just keep walking…_

The youkai girl's voice fades away as I continue to leave and head down the road towards the village.

_Well, that sort of went well I guess. I didn't get attacked at least. Now, to find this bazaar._

The night is impenetrable now. I have to keep my eyes downward just to see the small bit of ground in front of me. Looking up is just blackness.

Until, I finally begin to see the human village again. The lights of the market carry into the late night, and illuminate the village.

And to the left, I see an even grander display of lights. Radiant energy powered lights like the ones back on my world shine against the dark and illuminate the bazaar grounds not too far from the village.

_What on earth? Is that magic, or technology I'm seeing?_

Curious, I head towards the lights of the bazaar. After a few minutes of walking through the grassy field, I arrive at the front of the bazaar. A big banner hangs over the front, welcoming everyone.

I find am correct in that the lights are indeed energy lights like the ones I know; round cylinders connected to a buzzing generator near a tent. But, that is certainly not the only technology I see.

The entire bazaar is like a festival of technological displays. Various young youkai attend different tents and stands that offer technological phenomenon; some I have never even seen. The devices range in simple from use, like a blower that can dry things with heated air, to bizarre, like a box that can perform mathematical calculations.

_Just who are these kappa?_

Looking around at the stalls, I see a few identifying traits amongst the kappa girls. They all seem to share the same green caps and wear similar dresses that are aqua in color. Aside from differences in hair and eye color, they are all similar in dress and stature; with only one or two exceptions.

_How am I supposed to find this girl when they all look alike?_

Slowly, I walk through the grounds. Many different youkai move between the stalls, buying and conversing with the kappa. Everything is quite busy here. Just as Mystia said, they appear to have just set up and opened.

_No humans. I don't want to let everyone know I'm the only human here. I don't know how they'll take it._

I keep my gaze downward slightly, and don't acknowledge anyone so as to not draw any attention to me as I search the bazaar.

But of course, my luck goes bad. A tall woman who isn't paying any attention to where she is going trips on another's foot and staggers towards me.

"Whoa-oh-oh!"

I try stepping aside, but with her flailing her arms about, she inevitably ends up knocking me down anyways. The two of us bump into each other and tumble to the ground. She lands on top, and pins me down with her weight.

Slowly, she stands up. "Ah, geez. Sorry 'bout that. You ok?"

I get up after her. "Yes, fine. You?"

She shrugs. "No worries."

…

The girl is tall, about as tall as me, with dark pink hair tied with hair two bobbles and bright red eyes. She has a beautiful blue and white dress along with a belt, both of which fit tightly on her mature frame. She's quite attractive, yet I am somehow bothered by her. Behind her casual stance and attractive figure I feel some twisted power in her.

But in spite my nervousness, she is friendly. "Name's Komachi. Having fun in the bazaar?"

_Just be casual. Don't make a scene out of this. No one else seems to be paying me any mind, and she doesn't seem to suspect me to be a human yet. If I just keep the conversation normal, than I should still be safe._

"Yes." I calmly reply. "How about yourself?"

She nods. "You bet! I just love looking at all this cool stuff. It's a good place to spend some off time. I don't know where these little kappa get all these cool ideas, but I just love these bazaars. You should see the stuff they have in the back. They got this machine that makes this really spooky fog. Oh, and this other thing…"

She goes on with description after description while I listen. She certainly seems to be having fun.

I think to myself while she talks. _So she's been around here for a little while. Maybe she's seen Nitori._

I stop her mid-sentence. "Excuse me, but can I ask a short question?"

She nods. "Sure. Shoot."

"Do you know Nitori?"

She looks off to the side a bit and sighs. "Well, yeah actually. She's a really skilled kappa. The kappa got some smart cookies on them, but Nitori beats 'em all. But, sadly, she isn't participating in this year's bazaar. She's helping with the management and stuff instead. She's got a big manager's tent somewhere in the back I think. It's too bad. I was hoping to see some more of her amazing inventions this year."

_Finally I'm getting somewhere. _"I see. Thank you Komachi. I need to go see her so if you'll excuse me."

"Yeah… I guess I should be getting back to work soon too. Don't want to get behind schedule and get chewed out again." She says as she walks past me and towards the entrance. "See ya."

I give a short wave goodbye and head further into the bazaar.

_Whew. That worked out well. Glad to be past her. Hopefully I won't see any more chatterboxes like that. Now, onward._

Nitori is somewhere nearby. I just need to find her tent. I only hope she'll be able to help me at all. Marisa said it was no guarantee.

_What should I say? I wonder how I should put this… I need to think this through… _I muse as I continue to walk.

Thankfully, the rest of my travel through the bazaar causes me no trouble, and I soon find the tent that says 'management only' on it. It's a large tent with a pair of flaps acting as a door. I can hear movement on the other side of the entrance.

_Alright. This is it. Nitori is here. I know she's a kappa, so she's smart, and that she's not good with humans. This is going to be tough to work out, but I have to try. If I just stick with some basic etiquette and be respectful and honest than maybe I can turn her opinion of humans around enough to convince her to help me._

I mentally prepare myself once more before stepping in. _Good first impressions Joseph. I need her help no matter what. I won't survive this place without some kind of armaments to help me. I need this to work._

_Ok. One, two, three._

I feel a little nervous as I push open the flap of the tent and step inside. I've gone through a lot of trouble just to get this far, and I have even further to go yet. I hope I can do this right.

I finally step inside and start by calling attention to myself so as to not startle her. "Excuse me."

"Hm? Who's that?" Responds a voice from around the back.

_Alright… here we go._

* * *

_A/N  
_

Thank you reading my next chapter.

So I begin to give a hint at Charity's plan, and show that it may come to fruition much sooner than expected. Again and again, things just keep getting worse for Joseph. He's a strong character ability wise, so by tearing down his world and making his situation more desperate, I will be able to impose greater and greater challenges against him in spite his strengths.

Also, I had a lot of fun with Mystia. I wanted to capture her personality as a trickster youkai, and also establish a reoccurring theme that youkai are often prideful and arrogant around humans, especially so since Joseph is a sort of youkai exterminator. Most of the time, Touhou characters will either try to act tough or act high-class around Joseph to try and show him up, but he certainly isn't the kind of person who is amused by this attitude. Finding a way to work around that arrogant shell people have and understand the true personality within is one of the challenges Joseph will face in understanding and eventually befriending Gensokyo and youkai.

Thank you again for reading. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	12. Chapter 12

**Again, you are rejected by this world. It will only get harder from here.**

* * *

I continue to walk away from the accident we just had. Away from the human. Towards the bazaar exit.

_Ugh… back to work for me… ol' yama is going to really give it to me if I slack off again. Especially after that flower incident a few years back._ I mentally groan as I pass by all the fun displays the kappa have.

As I walk, I think back about that human I bumped into. A hunter for sure, but a strange man nonetheless.

_That silly human. He's got some guts coming in here at a time like this. I could've just muttered 'human' and he would've been food in a second. Human and youkai relations are just getting worse and worse and worse these days. A new hunter isn't going to go over well in Gensokyo._

_Not that it matters now though. His time was already pretty short. He'll be dead soon._

_I wonder what he wants Nitori for though. She's not exactly the best human friend there is. She acts shy and cute in public, but when privately confronted or challenged she can be a little hard to handle for a kappa; stubborn even. I hope he knows what he's doing._

I continue to walk towards the bazaar entrance. I need to get back to my boat and start work again before Eiki gets mad at me.

But right by the entrance, someone stops me. A magician with brown hair and red writing on one arm. She has a bright smile on her face as she approaches me.

"Hey, are you Komachi Onozuka?" She asks.

_Eh? _"Who are you?"

She places her engraved hand on her chest and introduces herself formally with a bow. "Call me Nightcaster if you don't mind; just a little title I like to keep. I'm assuming you are Komachi then? I was wondering if you could give me a hand with something."

_Errr… _"Well, points for a good guess, but I can't. I've got to get going. I'm a little busy."

"Work? I've heard you're a busy girl with all those souls to ferry." She says.

_Hm. _"Been reading the Gensokyo Chronicle then? Yeah. It's true. I deal with the human souls in Gensokyo and ferry them across the river. Eiki, my boss, gets mad if I don't keep up so I really can't stay."

She smiles. "Aww. Come on. What's so important about work that you couldn't help a little magician with a project of hers? You don't really want to be there anyways do you?"

_She's got me on that…_

She goes on. "I'm actually a bit of a fan of yours you could say. I understand you have a unique power. Something about distance manipulation."

_Fan? Really? _"Ahaha! You're cute, I'll give you that. But no one likes shinigami _that _much! You can't fool me. Don't try to butter me up to get me to help you."

She continues to insist. "Ah, but I am! Distance manipulation? That's so cool! I wish I could do that! I would really like your help with my project!"

This is just the sweetest little magician I've met. I can't help but grin. "Aw, come on. Distance manipulation is lame compared to what real magic can do. You would top little ol' me any day."

She shakes her head. "Not at all! I'm actually really fascinated by it! My project is… well… I've run into a little kink and I thought it would just be the perfect opportunity to get to see your amazing power first hand. I was wondering if you were willing to use your distance manipulation to help me in a spell that needs a space to be closed."

_Well, she is being really sincere, but… _"I'd love to, but my work…"

"Work again?" She says with a roll of her eyes. "Come on Komachi. You can step away from that old boat for a few more hours can't you? I won't need but just a little time. Please? You're my favorite shinigami in all of Gensokyo! Won't you help a fan? Come on! It'll be fun times!"

Finally, after all her begging, she gets to me and I give in.

I chuckle a bit. "Hehehe… Alright. Fine. You got me. I guess I can be buttered up after all. What is it you need this gal's help with?"

The Nightcaster smiles brightly. "Thank you so much! It's back at my place actually. Here, let me open a portal and we'll get started."

She then draws a key shaped object and draws a circle in the air with it. Immediately, a hole opens up that reveals the interior of a home.

She steps through and offers a hand to take me in. "Come. Join me, would you?"

_Well… I guess work can wait for a bit after all._

I take her hand and step inside. "Alright. Sound like fun. "

And then my world goes black. My mind starts to go numb.

_Ack! Ugaaaah! Aaah! Ah… uuuuuuuhh…_

As my vision starts to fade, I see a wicked twinkle in the magician's eyes.

"Perfect. Let's get started."

* * *

"Excuse me, is Nitori in here?" I ask the unknown person in the back of the tent. There is so much power equipment and data sheets in here, I'm afraid to step in and look for her myself for fear knocking things over.

"If you have any questions about the bazaar, like directions, then you need to ask the front reception." The voice impatiently replies. It's a young girl, so it could be her, but she sound pretty frustrated right now.

"I'm here for Nitori." I assert.

"Fine…" The voice says with a sigh. "Hold on, I'll be up in a second."

In just a moment a kappa whirls around from behind one of the machines. She's donning the same kappa uniform; blue dress with a green hat. She has aqua hair tied in twin pigtails, and is one of the smaller kappa I've seen.

She immediately goes wide eyed when she sees me. "H-human? W-w-w-what?"

I quickly try to recover my situation. "Ms. Nitori I-"

Too late. The air around her warps and twists around, and she disappears on the spot.

_What? She's gone? _I frantically think as I scan the room. _Damn! I didn't get a single word in!_

_Wait… maybe I can still see her._

I cast Intuition on me and look at the room again. Sure enough, I find Nitori's glowing shadow standing there. She stands there hugging herself and nervously swaying about as she waits for me to leave.

I speak directly to her to calm her down. "Nitori. Listen. I am a human, I know, but I am not here to hurt you. Please, calm down. I need your help."

She remains silent.

"Nitori, please. I am not your enemy. I need you to trust me." I try to reassure.

Finally, she uncloaks when she sees I am not going to be fooled. The air warps back, and she returns to normal.

"Oh y-yeah? W-why should I trust you?" She timidly demands.

_Ok, I have her attention. Now I need to turn her around._

"I'm a traveler. My name is Joseph Mateba. I'm on a quest, and I need your help." I explain as politely as I can.

She crosses her arms. "Why do you need my help specifically? Y-you better not be trying to trick me."

I can see her nervousness decreasing and her confidence increasing. If I don't establish a good opinion now, then she may turn on me anyways.

"No, of course not." I quickly defend. "I've heard you are good with machines. I'm actually not too out of touch with engineering myself. I used to be an engineering student myself."

She is not amused. "Ok…"

I go on. "I need your expertise though. I was wondering what it might take to convince you to help me with a weapon I have."

"Weapon?" She asks.

"Do you want me to show you?" I ask back. I don't want to just draw my gun out and scare her.

She nods. "Yeah. Fine. Show me."

I draw out my pistol and she walks over and takes it from me. She toys with the various mechanisms on it; saying nothing.

"It's a pistol" I explain. "I-"

"I know it's a pistol." She quickly snaps back. "I'm not stupid. I know what guns are. This pistol is quite unique though. I've never seen one made this way before. Still, seems like a working gun. Why do you need help with this?"

_Ok… She didn't take that quite so well. I guess I'll just cut the fancy talk and be honest with her._

"Alright then… I need ammunition made for it. I heard you might have the intelligence and skill to-"

She instantly thrusts the gun back into my hand. "Nope."

_What? _"But why?"

"I don't make weapons anymore." She replies.

_You have got to be kidding me! _"So you can't help me at all? Surely you could do this little favor for me couldn't you? You won't even consider it? Not even if I offered something in return?"

She sighs and begins explaining. "Listen here Joseph, I am trying to improve the declining youkai and human relations, not build useless weapons. You may not know it, but peace in Gensokyo is getting very fragile. Youkai and human relations are starting to slump, and fighting on both sides has been going up and up. Major incidents have been on the rise, and the presence of more and more new youkai in Gensokyo is making everything even worse. Managing events like this so that everything goes peacefully, and helping to organize inventions that benefit _both _groups are my main goals. Making guns and ammunition is of zero importance right now."

"But-"

"And don't think I don't know you aren't some kind of hunter either." She interrupts. "What kind of human carries around a weapon like this? And I can see that sword you have there too. Making something that's going to be used to hurt youkai is completely counterproductive to what I'm trying to do."

_So this is it then? Turned down just like that? Argh! Damn it! There has to be something I can do!_

I do my best to remain calm and ask another question. "Fine then. I won't force you to help me but do you know someplace I can go to get ammunition then?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not helping you hurt youkai. It's out of the question."

I keep trying. "I assure you Nitori I am not here to hurt youkai. Yes, inevitably, I will have some encounters, but I am dealing with someone far worse than just normal youkai here."

She glares at me. "Worse? _Worse_? So youkai are bad then?"

_Urk! _"Nitori, that's not what I meant. I am after a very dangerous magician who does not belong here. If I don't stop here then there is no telling what she will do. She is stronger than me and I need to prepare to face her. Without bullets for my gun though, I won't stand a chance against her or anyone else in Gensokyo."

She shakes her head again. "It may be hard for you to see, but even if your fight doesn't involve others it still looks bad for the relations issue to see a youkai and a human dueling it out. I won't help this grudge of yours. I don't even know if I can trust you. I'm trying to befriend the humans and bring youkai back to coexisting with them. Helping you is not important to me. I'm sorry Joseph, but I can't."

_Ugh… she's dead set on not helping me, and unfortunately it's for a decent reason. I can't force her to help me. What should I do now? What will I do when I run out of bullets for my gun? I will have only my knife to defend myself with and the girls of Gensokyo are already far stronger than me. I won't stand a chance._

_I have to figure something out…_

I'm about to give up and say goodbye, but I try one last thing. One last attempt to reach out to her and earn her sympathy.

I take a deep breath before trying to convince her a final time. "I was sent here by Marisa Kirisame. She's a friend of yours right? She's also my friend. She trusted me. She understood how much I needed help. You can trust me Nitori; like Marisa did. I know you don't want to help me yourself, but if there is any way at all you can help me indirectly then I need it. Please…"

She remains silent and does not reply. She continues to stare at me as she waits for me to leave.

_I guess that's it then…_

I turn away. "Very well. I see Marisa was mistaken then… sorry to bother you…"

"Wait, wait. Ugh… come back here, I think I may know someone who can help after all." Nitori says with a sigh.

I turn back around and eagerly wait for her to continue.

She looks down a minute and thinks. "Ok, I know this girl named Rika who used to design tanks. She hasn't been around in a while, but I've met with her once or twice on occasion. I don't do much with weapons anymore, but she still does. She has a workshop where she makes guns for her tanks and other things. I'm sure she could help you more than I could. Plus, she's human so you'll probably understand her a bit better."

_Ah! Finally. It's not as good as I hoped, but that definitely works too._

_But… _"Tanks you said? I didn't think I'd hear about one of those in Gensokyo of all places."

She shrugs. "Gensokyo is a weird place. It's better just to take everything with an open mind and accept it. She designs tanks, and that's all there is to it. Again, she can probably help you better than I could, and I'm not in a position to be helping youkai hunters anyways. Will that work?"

I nod. "Thank you Nitori. It's at least something to go on. I'll definitely find her… do you know where she is at all?"

She shakes her head. "That's the tricky part. I've only met her a few times, and she's been really secluded recently. I don't know where she lives or where to find her."

_So I'll have to search for her. Great… more things to take up my time._

But Nitori gives me a little more hope. "If I were you, I would talk to Reimu. She knows most of the ins and outs of Gensokyo. She probably knows where she is."

I nod. "Sounds like a start. Thank you again."

Nitori looks around a bit nervously. "Alright, are you done? I have work to do, and… I don't want to get seen with you right now. If you're done, please leave the bazaar before someone finds you out and it becomes a mess."

I nod again. "I'll head straight out. Once again, thank you. You've done me a huge favor."

"Yes, yes. Hurry please!" Nitori anxiously demands.

_Right. Time to go._

I turn away. "Goodbye. Thanks for your aid."

She nods. "Goodbye human. Stay out of trouble."

I exit the tent and return to the bazaar.

It's still dark out. It will be a while before I will see any sun.

_I need to leave this place. _

I respect Nitori's wishes and swiftly depart. I avoid all eye contact with other youkai as I make my way out of the bazaar and back into the small empty fields just outside the human village.

_There, that's done. Now, to go to Reimu._

As I step into the night and back towards the road, I yawn very loudly.

_Ugh… This place is wearing me thin. I can keep going though. I've been without sleep for much longer._

Once I get back to the road, I begin to head back in the direction of the mansion though. This time however, I will be going the opposite direction. I still remember Alice's directions. To the left is a shrine run by Reimu. Someone who may be able to help me.

As I walk, I think about something Nitori said.

_A fragile peace huh? I've been lucky with getting help so far, but I've had my share of trouble too. Will my presence here only see more trouble for me? I wonder if the chaos this Nightcaster will cause will make these relations worse too. I wonder what the Nightcaster is up to…_

As I continue walking, I begin to notice something odd. Lights begin to flutter all around me. At first it's just a few, but then they continue to multiply until the entire road is aglow with golden flickering lights.

_What are these?_

One of the lights then passes in front of my face. From it, I hear a faint buzzing noise.

_A bug? Some kind of light-emitting bug? I've seen some creatures that emit light for natural purposes, but not a bug. How strange. _

I quickly become unnerved though, as the lights just continue to increase. It's actually starting to get rather bright.

_There's so many. It's pretty but… unnatural._

"Come to view the fireflies?"

A voice from behind startles me, and I quickly whirl around to find a youkai girl.

She has bright greenish hair, and is dressed plainly in a white shirt and blue short pants. Around her shoulders is a dark cloak with a slit that makes it look like wings. Stranger still, she has a pair of antennae on her head; making her look even more like a bug.

_A youkai? _"What is it? What do you want?"

She frowns. "Want? I only asked you a question. Geez. I was just wondering if you were here for the fireflies."

I glance around for a minute at the brightened night. "Fireflies? These bugs you mean? I've never seen anything like this."

The girl smiles a bit. "Pretty aren't they? Firefly shows like this have their own little charm."

"My name's Wriggle Nightbug by the way." She says with her small smile. "What's yours?"

"Joseph Mateba." I reply. "Are these yours then?"

She nods. "My friends. Winter is coming soon, and I wanted to say goodbye to my friends before everything freezes over. These little guys won't stand a chance in the cold, so they have to go into hiding."

_That doesn't sound good. I hope I won't have to do much traveling in the coming cold…_

She then takes a seat off the side of the road and pats the grass next to her. "Here. Want to sit and watch?"

I find it strange that she's being friendly to me. Especially after what Nitori said. Maybe she is another one of the rare nice ones? Or is this some trick?

In any case, if I sit down now I'll just end up falling asleep, and I don't want to do that in a dangerous place so I decline.

"No thanks. I'm fine. I actually need to get going." I say.

Her smile fades. "Really? Can't you stay a little bit? It's rare for me to meet another youkai walking around out here. Won't you stay and watch?"

_Youkai? Ah, so this girl is mistaken then._

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I hate to tell you wrong, but I'm no youkai." I reply.

The girl freezes for just a second before she suddenly jumps up. "Human?"

_Ah, great._

I mentally kick myself for saying that. I was only trying to be polite and return the girl's open friendliness with my honesty, but honesty has undoubtedly cost me this time.

She squints at me a bit. "I guess you do seem kind of human. It's awfully dark, so I just assumed you were youkai to be walking around so fearlessly. You really are a human…"

She then begins to glare. "And a hunter by the looks of it. Do you hunt youkai? Do you?"

I need to turn this around or this may go badly.

"No. I'm not a hunter. I'm only after one person." I reply.

She continues to glare harshly. "Hmph. I doubt that. You humans are all scum. Stomping bugs, smashing bugs, poisoning bugs. You people are all the absolute worst."

_Oh, this is bad._

All I want to do now is get away before I get into a fight. "I'm sorry for deceiving you Ms. Nightbug, but I never meant any harm to you or your bugs. I really must be going now, so if you don't mind my leaving…"

"I mind." She curtly replies. "You aren't getting away from me just like that."

_Here we go… _I nervously think.

She begins to walk towards me. "Why the nervous look? A human like you isn't afraid of a few bugs right? So why are you backing up?"

_This isn't good. I'm not in the best position to be fighting right now. It seems like she really wants to start something though. I don't think I'm going to be able to talk my way out of this. This is definitely not good._

I continue to keep a safe distance as she menacingly walks towards me. My cautious retreat only entertains her.

"Still backing up? You nervous? Scared? Hahaha! I would say you're scared of bugs or something with that stance. Look, if I keep walking, you keep backing away." She says as her smile grows wider and more wicked.

"Wriggle… let's not do anything we'll regret." I say as I continue to keep away from her.

She ignores me and goes on. "I'd say you're a little scared. If a bug were to you know, fly right into your face, would you scream then?"

_Huh?_

Then, suddenly, she zooms at me. Her flight makes an extremely loud droning noise like she was a massive flying bug; she could very well be.

"Ah!"

I duck down at the last second and let her harmlessly soar over me. As she does, I feel her just barely brush against my shoulder. A close save for me.

I quickly rise back up and spin around to see her floating in place, still smiling.

"Hahahaha! You panicked like a little girl! Ahahaha! Oh, and by the way, you'd better check yourself. You never know when a bug might happen to be on you!" She says as she continues to laugh away at me.

Curious and fearful of what she meant, I glance at my shoulder where she brushed against me and am shocked to find a whole colony of small crawling worms. I quickly swat them off with a sleeve and shake myself clean of any other bugs she may have planted on me. I don't know if that was to just annoy or to inflict some deadly poison, but I'm not taking any chances.

My actions only entertain her more. "Hehehehahaha! Oh, your squirming is so funny! Oh, how the tables have turned! Come on human, squirm! Squirm more! Oh, sweet revenge!"

_Alright, that's enough! _

I draw my great knife and hold it out towards her in warning.

My weapon sobers her up a bit, but she is still confident in her power over me. "A blade? What do you think that is going to do against me?"

She may be acting tough, but she can't possibly be as strong as she thinks. I need to destabilize this cocky attitude of hers and bring her mood back down or she'll never let me go.

I hate to have to prove Nitori right after she just got finished explaining to me about how youkai view humans, but I have no choice. I have to fight her off.

I tighten my grip on my weapon. "Why don't you come and find out. Demon."

"Alright then. Let's see just how tough you are human! I'll show you just how terrifying my bugs really are!" She says as she prepares to cast magic at me.

_This is going to be a long night…_

I wish I had been able to find some way around this, but once again I have accidentally put myself at odds with a youkai. Wriggle Nightbug is certainly going to prove to be a tough enemy now.

Wriggle raises her hand as she prepares to cast a spell at me from her hovering position. "Take this!"

I raise my blade in front of me in a defensive stance as I prepare for her to make the first move.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

Again, I switch perspectives to a secondary character for a moment. I have a lot of fun trying to imagine and write from the view of a touhou character and describing the world through their eyes, but I don't want to get carried away with this either. Only characters directly related or involved with the conflict between Joseph and Charity get POV momets, and only a certain few I have in mind. This includes Komachi, Ran, Yukari, and another character who has yet to be introduced. Again, I won't be getting carried away with this, so don't expect to see through these characters very often as the plot advances.

Also, Nitori was done a bit differently then I originally planned. In the more recent "Symposium of Post-Mysticism", Nitori is described as being arrogant towards humans; contrasting her opinion as a human friend. I wanted to try and see how this route would look for her, and I actually kind of like it. Rather than being initially shy and friendly afterwards, she is initially shy and arrogant afterwards. She has good and honest opinions of the humans, but isn't a people person herself and comes off as awkward and unfriendly to people she doesn't know. She's smart, but doesn't like being challenged or having to explain herself either. This gives her a little more backbone over just being cute and shy, and makes her being able to reject Joseph make a bit more sense. This might make her a touch confusing and unpredictable, but she's a youkai so...

Thank you again. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	13. Chapter 13

**The fireflies are full of energy tonight, aren't they?**

* * *

My opponent, Wriggle Nightbug, casts her magic at me. She sends forth a burst of weaving projectiles that mimic the wild bugs she is so fond of.

_Here we go!_

I duck forward, timing my movements so that I slide between the weaving patterns and begin rushing towards her with my great knife.

She shifts to the side a bit as she prepares to face my charge.

She must be awfully confident to be ready to face me in close quarters. Even if her youkai powers gives her more strength than normal, she is still much smaller than me physically. Her body is only that of a young teenage girl; athletic and short. I will be able to overpower her with my attacks easily.

But I soon find out that is not her plan at all.

At the last second, she thrusts her hand out towards me. At her command, a swarm of black buzzing flies crawl out from under her shirt sleeve and fly out in a cloud. In a mere instant, an imposing veil of black swarming bugs bar my way.

"What in the world?" I mutter as I stop before the flies.

"Thought it would be that easy?" Wriggle answers from within the shadow of the flies. "Well you aren't getting me just like that. Take this!"

Then, all at once, the flies scatter away to reveal Wriggle ready with another powerful attack.

_Ah!_

I have no time to escape from Wriggle's deadly aim. A burst of magic orbs fly at me and strike me in the chest repeatedly. I stagger backwards in pain and fall down to the ground.

I don't let it hold me back though, as I quickly jump back up and face her again.

With nothing in my hand…

_Ah, my blade is gone!_

I quickly look around for where it fell and find it a few steps away. I dash towards it and scoop it up off the ground.

A painful sting on my hand causes me to drop it. "Argh!"

I look down at the fallen blade and find it covered with stinging wasps. I waste no time in stomping on the handle and blade to get rid of them. The wasps scatter at my attack, and I'm free to pick up my blade again.

But my actions only leave me vulnerable, and I soon pay for it. Wriggle casts a volley of weaving projectiles as I reach down, and they hit me multiple times. Again, I recoil in pain. A few drops of blood escape me from the injuries on my chest.

Wriggle once again pushes me away with more magical orbs. I dodge this time, but I am still losing ground. Her attacks continue to separate me from my knife.

After sufficiently distancing me, she lands on the ground and walks over to my knife and picks it up. She plays around with it, admiring the edge with fake interest.

"You won't be needing this will you?" She says with a wicked smile. "Let me just get this out of the way."

She carelessly throws the blade backwards behind her, and it lands further down the road with a soft thud.

_Great… I may have to use the last little bit of pistol ammo I have._

Wriggle smiles at my distress. "Now what are you going to do human?"

_Yeah. Going to have to._

I step back and draw my pistol out and aim it at her. "How about this."

I let loose some shots at her. The surprise catches her off guard, and the bullets hit dead on. A small amount of black insect-like blood leaks the bullet holes I put in her.

"Gah!" She recoils and quickly moves back into the air to prepare to evade.

I reload my gun and prepare to try and gun her down. As I reload, I notice I only have nineteen bullets left; two full reloads and an odd extra odd bullet.

_I have to make this count. I hope this is enough to defeat her._

I raise my gun at her and fire off more shots at her. Wriggle bobs and weaves around me while casting more of her own projectiles at me. She's good enough to throw off my aim a couple of times, but it's not enough to stop me from landing a few more hits on her.

I soon empty my gun and reload it. Only one full reload left and she's not even slowing.

"Come on, is that all you can do?" She taunts. Her injuries are barely fazing her.

_Argh! Die already!_ I mentally roar as I fire off more bullets at her. I land more shots on her, but she doesn't slow down.

I reload one last time. My last nine bullets.

"Come on, go down!" I shout as we continue to trade shots. I keep shooting at her, but she's not stopping.

One of her weaving projectiles grazes against my leg, stinging and burning it. The shock causes me to flinch and misfire once.

"Mmph!" I grunt in pain as I step back and rebalance myself.

I quickly recover from my mistake and aim my gun at her. I try to line a shot up with her head as she continues to snake around in front of me and pull the trigger again.

Click.

I misfired my last bullet. That's all I have, save for one oddball left over. No more shooting.

When Wriggle hears my click, she stops evading and lands again. She stands there for a few seconds to see if I will reload, but when she sees I am unable to do so she begins to relax a bit.

She looks over herself for a second; looking at the holes in her. Her injuries are bad. She's spattered in her insect blood.

Yet she only just shrugs. She dusts herself off and wipes off some of the dark blood on her arms and begins walking towards me.

"I'll admit… I wasn't expecting that thing you have there." She says. "But it looks like you're out now. How weak."

"How… are you still standing?" I whisper in awe.

She looks at herself again before looking at me with a wicked grin. "Oh this? This is nothing. Bugs aren't as easily affected by pain like you humans are. I can't even feel this actually."

_Unbelievable! I did all that and she can't even feel the pain._

She continues to walk towards me; magic burning in her hand. "So, now that you have no weapons, how will you fight me now?"

I take a look in my pockets to see if I have anything at all to fight with and find nothing. All I have is this last bullet, and it's not even a lethal one. A single flash shot is all I have.

I've separated this last bullet from the others for a reason. It's different. Most guns in my world are meant to chamber multiple types of ammunition for different occasions or purposes. Specialty rounds are as popular as regular lethal ones, and I have a few preferences myself. I thought I had used up the last of my flash shots, but it seems I still saved one when I came here.

The flash shot contains an explosive powder that releases on firing, causing the pistol to emit a blinding cone of white light when used. A pistol-sized flash shot can still burn someone if fired at someone up close where the powder is hot, but its main purpose is to stun.

_If I can nail her with this, I might be able to then stun her, slip past her, and grab my knife again. I just need to wait for the right moment; I can't miss._

She stops just a few steps away from me and stares at me with a deadly intent. "Are you ready human? It's just you and me now; no weapons left for you to use. I hope you're ready for this, because this time _I'm _going to do the squashing."

_I've still got one trick left you demon…_

I quietly take the plastic bullet out of my pocket and load it into my gun behind my back where she can't see. The gun makes a softer noise as the plastic flash shot is loaded, and Wriggle does not notice it. I keep my gun behind me and ready myself to surprise her.

She takes a step back and crouches down a bit as she prepares to fly at me. She intends to bring me down with melee now that I appear defenseless.

Unfortunately, it works.

"Hiya!" With a shout she zooms at me and tackles me hard in an attempt to throw me off my feet. I dig my heels in and resist, but her attack knocks the gun from my hands before I can raise it.

_Gah! Damn you! Back off now!_

I push back at her and wind up a bare knuckled swing. My punch misses though, as she gracefully flies up over me and retaliates with a swift kick to the side of the head.

I stagger to the side as her heel strikes the side of my head. "Ugh…"

Wriggle laughs from above me. "How's that for a sting?"

_Sting? Figures… A bug would be effective up close. She was just being careful earlier. She has flight and speed, and I won't be able to keep up with her in a fist fight._

I quickly scan the ground and find my pistol just a step away. I reach down and pick it back up, thankfully with no bugs on it, and aim it at Wriggle.

As soon as I look up at Wriggle though, I am met with yet another kick from her. She comes down on me from her high position and kicks me right into the ground. I get knocked backwards and collapse face-first into the dirt.

_Ugh… come on, get up! _I think as I struggle to get up. _ I can keep fighting! I just need to get up!_

I begin to pull myself up, but she immediately lands on top of me and forces me back down.

She places a shoe on the back of my head and begins to dig her heel into me. "Squiiiiish! Hahaha! How does that feel?"

I push up against her, but her unnatural youkai strength is just enough to keep me on the ground. She continues to laugh as she enjoys the irony.

"Do you know how I feel about now? Watching humans smash bugs without even feeling sorry. It's horrible, and humans don't even give two seconds to think about it. Well, now I have you to take out my anger on. Revenge will be mine! Squish squish SQUISH!" She says as she proceeds to stomp and grind the back of my head with her shoe.

Sense starts to leave me as she batters my skull. _Ugh! Come on, get up! I can do this!_

She continues to bury me into the dirt as she taunts me. "Keep struggling human; it won't do you a bit of good!"

_Grrr! Almost… there._

She begins to talk to herself. "Now that you're beaten, I wonder what I'll do with you… Oh, don't worry though; I'll make sure it's painful. But… hmm… What to do…"

"I'm not… beaten… yet…" I growl as I struggle to break free from her stomping.

I manage to squirm my way to my side just enough to see her. With the pistol still in my hand, I raise my arm sideways and point my gun at her grinning face.

"Gotcha…"

I pull the trigger and fire the flash shot at her. A loud bang comes out of my gun along with a spear of white light that goes right into her face.

Wriggle recoils off me and clamps her hands over her eyes. "Aah! What did you do to me? It's so bright!"

I waste no time and quickly stow my depleted pistol and grab the magic stone and thrust it right into her face. A blast of force knocks her onto her side, where she writhes in pain.

_Now, to get my knife back._

I spin away from her and make a dash back up the road. Thanks to the glow of the fireflies, the steel knife shines on the ground. I practically dive for my last line of physical defense I have, and I firmly grasp as I turn to face Wriggle.

"Hidden Bug: Hermit of an Endless Night! I'm going to bury you human!" She roars.

She sends her spell card at me; both angered and dazed by my quick escape and recovery. She's pulling out her big guns now.

_Trying to spell card your way back into the advantage? Well it won't work. I'm ready for you now!_

And while I think that, I am still caught off guard by her magic. Or rather, her summons.

A thousand different horrifying bugs emerge from everywhere. Flying bugs become so thick that they are like a storm, and crawling bugs worm around all over the ground. The luminescence of the fireflies is soon drowned out by the massive wave of evil bugs.

_Ack! She really does intend to bury me! I'm going to choke on all these bugs! I can't even see her anymore!_

I swing my knife at the chaos all around me, but there are so many bugs that it doesn't make a difference. I'm going to be overwhelmed at this rate.

I take a step forward to try and work my way towards Wriggle, but my foot gets caught on something as I do. A heavy branch carelessly thrown over the side of the road. Between the bugs on it, I can see that it's dried up and dead. I most likely didn't notice it here earlier.

But now, I think I have my key to this fight.

_A branch! Perfect. I hope it's dry enough…_

I quickly crouch down and shake the bugs off it and draw out my canteen.

Many things on my world are designed with multiple purposes. Guns are capable of using different ammunition, clothes are designed to work in all kinds of climes, and commodities are designed with attachments and fixtures to extend their use to other things. Everything is made with maximum efficiency in mind, and this canteen is no different.

Opposite the smoothed grip side of this survival flask is a rugged side that holds a flint shard. Using my knife, I take the canteen and strike it on the metal blade. A small burst of sparks pepper the old branch.

Smoke becomes embers, embers become flames, and the flames become a blaze. Fire instantly rises up out of the aged wood and wrinkled leaves. The flames spread across the leafy head of the stick, and the branch soon becomes a torch.

_Yes!_

I put away my knife and canteen and grab the heavy branch in both hands. I swing the burning end through the masses of bugs, setting them on fire and backing them away. The bugs die by the handful as they continue to try and attack me in vain.

After a few seconds though, the bugs begin to let up as I dispel them with fire. They begin to clear away, and visibility returns. Soon, I can see Wriggle standing there as she tries to direct her fleeing bugs.

She then goes wide-eyed when she sees me. "F-fire?"

The fear in her eyes is clear. In spite of all her magic and youkai powers, she is still just like a bug.

And bugs burn very easily.

_I've got you poison now Wriggle. Let's see how tough you are against this._

I raise the burning branch and charge at her with it, flames first. Wriggle readies herself, but her legs tremble as her instinctive fear binds her to inaction. She looks around as if she wants to escape, but she is unable to move.

_I've got you now!_

I reach her and tackle her hard with the flaming branch.

"AAAH! HOT!" She screams as she falls down backwards. A small smoking flake on her shirt is all she has to show for the burn, but she's already screaming and crawling away like she's going to burn to death.

I may yet do so to her.

I raise the branch back again and strike her once more with the flames. A second scream of agony erupts from her.

Again and again, I clobber her with the flaming stick. She's helpless to my assault as panic and fear paralyzes her. Her clothes begin to smoke and fray as the fire begins to eat up the fabric, and the exposed skin beneath starts to turn reddish from the burns.

"AAAH! STOP! IT BURNS! I CAN'T TAKE IIIIIT!" Wriggle shrieks as my attacks punish her again and again.

I land one last hit before I stop. _Alright, that's enough punishment. Time to finish this…_

I place my heel on her stomach to stop her from escaping like she did to my head earlier. She claws madly at the ground to escape, but she is stuck fast under my foot.

I lower the branch over her face, causing her to lock up in fear. She looks up at the cloud of burning leaves above her with wide eyes. Sweat begins to pour down not just her face, but her entire body. Her once normal breath becomes ragged and shuddering gasps. She's on the verge of blind panic.

I breathe a sigh of relief now that I have her subdued. Her fighting spirit is completely gone now. I think I've won.

I lower the flames just a bit, bringing the fire nearer to her head. Her breathing becomes faster and more erratic, and she starts to tremble in fear.

"Wriggle…" I begin. "You made a mistake in crossing me tonight."

"Ah… I… eh… k… uh…" She is unable to form her sentences and just makes a series of choking noises.

"You know what an exterminator like me does to people like you…" I say in a threating voice.

Wriggle trembles harder. "W-w-what? You wouldn't exterminate a little firefly would you? People will miss me and my friends. H-humans love fireflies!"

"You certainly don't seem to love humans." I reply.

She shakes her head. "N-no, that's not true at all! Humans are great! Really! I was just… er… in a bad mood and I… um… that is… I just kind of…"

_Hmph._

I lower the flames a bit more, causing Wriggle to squeak in fear.

"Now." I begin. "Now… I… er…"

She looks up at me with tearful eyes. She's scared for her life. She's scared of me. This scared look she's giving makes me feel… sick.

_…_

I could finish her off with this torch here. She's on the verge of collapse from mental shock and physical injury. She would be easy to kill now. I would be doing my duty as a Slayer. By all means I should.

Yet again, I find myself unable to do so. She's done me many painful injuries and insults tonight. Her opinion of humanity is clear. Yet… standing over her like this I cannot bring myself to finish her. Again, I don't feel evil coming from this youkai. She's just a misguided and misunderstood soul with a slight attitude problem; not evil. Not evil enough at least.

Not evil enough for me to justify killing her.

After a few seconds of indecision, I step back off her.

Immediately, she begins to crawl back away from me until she feels she is safely away from the fire. She's badly injured from my gunfire. My burning has left much of her outfit a mess of smoking tatters. She should be dead now, but I will not kill her.

She blinks away her frightened tears and looks at me a bit sideways. "You're… letting me go? You won't exterminate me?"

I shake my head. "No…"

She slowly gets up, shaken and tired. "W-what next then?"

I sigh. "Just… just go. Don't let me see you again."

She stands there for another second as if unsure of what I meant.

I growl in frustration. "Just get out of here before I do exterminate you!"

"Eek!" She quickly spins around and runs away on foot. At one point she staggers from her injuries and falls, but soon pulls herself back up and continues running towards the distant forest.

I drop the burning branch and kick some dirt over it until the flames suffocate and stop.

I then sit down next to the warm ashes in the morning dark. The fireflies are gone, and everything is dead quiet. I take a few deep breathes and relax my sore muscles before pulling out a few more bandages and healing myself back up.

I then look down and think to myself.

_Ugh, what's wrong with me? Why couldn't I bring myself to finish her off? By all means, I should have killed her. Yet… I just couldn't. It's like she wasn't a youkai, but a normal person then. Was it some kind of trick to keep herself alive? Or am I just getting soft? Or maybe there really is something different about these people that doesn't make them so evil._

_What's happening to me here?_

My frustrated thoughts are interrupted by a glimmer of light. The sun rises up over the horizon and sends rays of dim morning light across Gensokyo.

_Morning? I guess that fight took a little longer than I thought. No time to rest…_

I stand up and give a final look around. All my things are here. The torch is out. Wriggle is gone.

I brush aside my troubled thoughts and continue onward down the road.

_Well, now that I am done with her, I guess I can continue to find Reimu. I'll have to be careful now though, it's just me and the knife from now on. Hopefully, she can help me find Rika and fix that._

_I really need to get moving and get ready soon. I don't know when the Nightcaster will strike again, but she is bound to do something soon. I have to hurry now._

_It's time we finally met Ms. Reimu._

I pick up my pace and continue down the road with the intent on finding the Hakurei Shrine. I only hope that she will be able to help me survive in this crazy world.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

Again, I enjoy writing about different moods and personalities within a character. In Wriggle's case here, I interpreted her 'girly' personality last chapter as a sweet girl who likes bugs, and isn't afraid to extend a friendly invitation to strangers. Much like a firefly, she is a very benign creature to her fellow youkai. Around people she doesn't like (Joseph), her 'youkai' side takes over and turns her into an overconfident, wrathful, and slightly sadistic fighter. This is going to be a theme I'm going to try and use throughout the story, where touhou girls will either in a 'girly' human-like mood and are willing to help or befriend, or are in a combative 'youkai' mood and will become troublesome. Joseph and his actions will often inadvertently switch the moods back and forth on characters.

I also wanted to take a brief moment to show a bit more of Joseph's world and how it is different from ours with his inventory of things. His strange assorted inventory of multipurpose weapons and equipment was intended not to just be different, but to also hint at a bit of experience in survival and combat. I wanted to show some of his talent outside of what Joseph's narrative has described, so I put this scenario into the fight to try and do that.

Thank you again for reading my story. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	14. Chapter 14

**Help comes from an unexpected place. Can you trust this shade?**

* * *

Thankfully, the rest of my travels to the shrine caused no problem.

Departing from my struggle with Wriggle, I head back up the road towards where I turned toward the lake earlier. But rather than turn right this time, I continue on a short distance and follow the sharp curve left.

I suppose I could have just run straight to the shrine, as I can clearly see it from just about anywhere on this stretch of road, but I fear what may be lurking in the tall grass fields. The last thing I want is another encounter. So, I stay on the given path for now.

I spend a short amount of time on the shrine path before reaching the shrine itself. A large red arch sits at the top of a staircase leading up the hill to the shrine itself. This is undoubtedly a shrine. This must be the place.

_Here we are. Reimu should be somewhere around here._

I climb the short stairway leading up to the shrine and pass under the gate and onto the solid shrine grounds.

The first thing I notice is how old the arch is as I pass under it. The wood is quite old and a little discolored. It could use some repair work.

But it is no better than the rest of the shrine.

The shrine itself is in a sad state. The entire structure is sunken and rotting. A pair of wood pillars on the front are chipped and rotten, and bow just slightly to the right. The outer walls themselves are beaten and cracked all around. The part of the roof that I can see from here has a small hole, and I'm sure there is another somewhere up there too.

The whole place is barely holding up. It's still serviceable as a shrine, but it desperately needs to be fixed.

But I don't take any more time to look over the shrine, for standing right in the middle of the grounds in front of the shrine is a priestess girl busying herself with sweeping leaves.

She is dressed in some kind of priestess uniform that includes red pants and a red vest. For some reason, her vest has been crafted with no sleeves, and instead has two wide holes for her arms. To cover up her exposed sides a bit more, she wears detached sleeves that contrast her red outfit with white. Finally, her dark hair is tied back with a decorative red bow.

This outfit is bizarre to me. I've never seen someone dress like that. It looks both difficult to wear and immodest to the user.

_What a strange girl. Is this Reimu?_

I slowly walk up to her and call out. "Excuse me."

She stops and turns to me with a bored expression and tired eyes. "Hm? A visitor. How rare."

"Are you Reimu?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes. Reimu Hakurei. Who are you?"

"Joseph Mateba." I reply.

She looks look sideways at me for a moment. "Joseph? Mateba? Not common names around here. Are you an outsider?"

_She's certainly quick. _"Yes ma'am. I was wondering if you could help me."

She smiles just a little. "Ma'am? I don't think I've ever been called that. Heh… just Reimu is fine for me. I'm not big on formalities."

I nod. "Fair enough. Reimu then. I was wondering if you could help me."

"Is it an incident?" She abruptly asks.

_Incident? What?_

I shake my head. "I… I don't think so. I-"

"If it's not an incident or a youkai attack…" She interrupts. "Then can you please wait just a minute until I finish the sweeping? The grounds are a mess."

I glance around the area. Most of the leaves are swept up into a pile right next to Reimu, but there are still a few off to one side, and the pile itself needs to be moved out of the way.

_Well, I don't want to get in the way. Maybe I can help her out to hurry her up._

"Sure." I reply. "If you have another broom, then I'll help you."

"I appreciate it, but there's only one broom. You'll have to wait." She flatly replies.

_Well, I tried at least…_

With nothing to do, I follow behind Reimu as she continues to sweep away; moving the pile of leaves to the side and gathering the remaining few.

As she sweeps, I can't help but notice another odd thing about her. Between her sleeves I occasionally catch a glimpse of her side. I can see her chest is bandaged heavily with traditional cloth bandages. I can't help but wonder if she has some kind of injury.

I begin to feel awkward about standing by while a girl with an injury works unassisted, so I ask.

"Reimu… are you hurt?" I slowly ask.

She gives me a confused look. "No. I feel fine. Is something wrong?"

_Crap. Now I'm going to have to explain why I don't know about something that is probably completely ordinary or painfully obvious…_

"It's just that you are wearing bandages over your chest, so I thought you might be wounded. That's all…" I explain, hoping she'll understand my strangeness.

She chuckles. "Heh… Never seen a sarashi? You definitely are an outsider then. Probably a foreigner too. You do have a bit of an accent to me actually. Where are you from anyways?"

_I don't think trying to explain my situation will help this any…_

"It's not important." I reply. "Or rather, I guess you can say I prefer not to answer. My story's a bit complicated. Anyways, sorry about the mix up. I was just making sure."

She shrugs. "Fine. But I can tell you are using a language spell of some kind, so just don't try to pass yourself off as a native resident here. You won't fool anyone with the way you talk."

_I'm not using any spells right now though…_

She turns back to her sweeping. "That aside, I'm fine. It's just my outfit you see, so don't worry."

I let the matter slide and refrain from interrupting her anymore. Another minute of silence passes before she finishes up.

With a final sweep of her broom, she nudges the large pile just a bit further off to the side before giving her work a final look.

"I think that's enough of that." She says to herself.

She turns around to me. "Alright then Joseph. What is it you need? Do you have questions?"

I nod. "Yes. Just one. Do you know where a girl named Rika is?"

Reimu is silent for a moment. She looks down and thinks hard for a few minutes.

After a second, she looks back up at me and sighs. "I'm sorry…"

_No. Don't tell me…_

Of course, she does tell me. "I don't know. I faced her a very long time ago once, but she disappeared after that. I haven't seen her since I was a child. I'm afraid I don't know what she is up to these days."

"I see… thank you Reimu…"

I look down and sigh.

_Argh! Damn it! So much for that. Now how do I find her?_

But before I can come up with any ideas, I hear something. Footsteps.

Reimu hears it too, and we both look back towards the entrance to see two people approaching.

One of them is wearing an eye-catching talisman over her head, and I immediately recognize her as Yoshika.

The other girl I don't recognize though. She has an expensive looking blue dress with a flower belt around her waist and a flower design on the hem and sleeves. She has deep blue eyes and deep blue hair that's short in front and long in back. She has a haughty air about her, but is also very unearthly and inhuman.

_Who is this? Yoshika and her master? What are they doing here? Isn't this a holy place or something?_

Reimu almost throws down her broom when she sees them. She immediately draws a spell card and points it at the two.

"Seiga Kaku… I almost didn't recognize you with your hair down. You would have fooled me were it not for that servant Yoshika that you decided to bring along. This is a safe haven for humans in Gensokyo. You had best have a good reason for coming to my shrine and bringing a youkai with you. What is it you want?" Reimu demands.

_Whoa! Reimu definitely does not like these two._

The girl named Seiga laughs aloud. "Ahahaha! Oh, come on now Reimu. You don't even get visitors in this dump, or donations for that matter. No need to get defensive over it."

Reimu growls in anger.

"Oh calm down you." Seiga cuts in. "I'm not here to pick a fight. I need help, and as the resident exterminator and shrine maiden I was wondering if you would be willing to offer your aid. That is your job isn't it?"

Reimu pauses for a second before lowering her card and replying. "You'd better not be trying to make fun of me Seiga."

"Oh trust me, I would were it not for my predicament." Seiga smugly replies.

But her confidence fades, and she looks down with a bit of sadness in her eyes.

Seiga sighs as she begins her story. "Reimu, I know you don't think highly of me or little Yoshika, and trust me when I say I feel the same about you, but I desperately need your expertise today. I've been robbed and I need help tracking the criminal. They've taken my precious hairpin away, and I want it back. I'm desperate on this issue Reimu. I'll do anything to find this accursed person."

"You're a criminal yourself. Can't you figure it out?" Reimu harshly replies.

Seiga shakes her head. "No. I don't even know who this person is. I've never met them before."

_So she doesn't deny she's a criminal? _I wonder off to the side.

"And just how long ago was this?" Reimu impatiently asks.

"Two days." Seiga says.

_Ah! That was the same time Byakuren's scroll was taken! Yoshika said Seiga was away though._

"Excuse me." I interrupt.

Seiga has not paid me any attention in spite of me being right in front of her. She slowly looks at me with a mix of disgust and curiosity. "Who are you? A human? What do you want? I'm in the middle of some important business with Reimu. Shoo."

Before I can say anything else though, Yoshika's eyes brighten when she notices my presence.

"Oh. You're that human I tried to eat! Hello!" Yoshika says as she happily flails her arms up and down in an attempt to wave at me.

_Well, that's not how exactly I want to be remembered, but ok then._

Seiga looks at her minion with confusion. "Yoshika, how do you know this man?"

Yoshika jumps back in surprise. "Did I just remember something? I think I did! Seiga, I remembered something!"

"Very good Yoshika. Now what is it?" Seiga says with a bit of frustration.

"I remember… that I met this person in the graveyard… and I tried to eat him." She proudly states.

"Yoshika, that doesn't help." Seiga groans.

"Aww…" She pouts back.

"To be clear." I begin explaining. "I was helping resolve another robbery that same night you were attacked. Byakuren Hijiri lost her scroll to a pack of monsters. We tracked them back to the graveyard where they were hiding and ended up running into Yoshika along the way. She said you were gone that night, and didn't remember as to why. She said you left her."

"Well, I didn't exactly 'leave'." Seiga indignantly replies. "I was dragged. That night, I was spending time with my cute little Yoshika when a magician girl I didn't recognize came up to me. She didn't say anything at all, and just started attacking me for no reason with strange magic. Me and Yoshika put up a good fight, but she was strong, and she wasn't alone. She had things with her that I have never seen. We were overwhelmed by strange claw wielding creatures, and were subdued. I was knocked out, and my precious Wall Passing Chisel was taken."

_The Flawed were there earlier too? Did she do something else that night? I thought she was there for the scroll though. Was there something I missed?_

She goes on. "I woke up the next morning somewhere outside the Human Village, still being dragged away by one of those things. I easily defeated it, and returned to the graveyard. Yoshika's resurrection talisman, the one on her head here, had been weakened and muddied to prevent her from remembering anything about the attack. The attacker never said anything to me, so all I have to go one is her appearance. I spent all day yesterday searching Gensokyo for this person, but no one has seen her."

"Well, what does she look like?" Reimu asks.

Seiga's description only confirms my fears. "Shiny brown hair, red eyes, black robes, funny gold pendant, and a red sash. Has a cut sleeve and red writing on one arm that glows. She's about your height Reimu, but she's got a lot nicer of a body."

"Why you…" Reimu grumbles.

"I know who it is." I interrupt.

Seiga looks at me. "Huh? You do?"

I nod. "The Nightcaster. Or at least what she prefers to go by. Her real name is Charity Carpathia. She's a magician and a necromancer who's fond of power and strange supernatural things. She appears sweet and innocent on the outside, but she's actually ruthless and dangerous just as you've seen. I've been looking for her myself. I'm trying to hunt her down."

Seiga thinks on this. "Nightcaster huh? Sounds silly if you ask me. But, at least it's a name to go on. And you said you're hunting her down? Do you think you stand a chance at finding her?"

"I won't go into the details of our struggle, but I've been after her for a long time; before she came to Gensokyo. I know how she works. If anyone stands a chance at finding her, it'll be me." I reply.

"Then why didn't you find her two days ago when I got robbed?" Seiga asks as she glares at me.

"Well…" I slowly begin. "I will admit she is tricky. Gensokyo is unfamiliar territory to me, and she is more familiar with the ways of magic than I. She knows what works and what doesn't, and I still don't have a clue. She may have been able to trick me."

"How?" Reimu curiously asks.

"She is not a cautious individual. She will use her minions to cause trouble to protect herself, and I think that's what she may have done by stealing Byakuren's scroll. She must have known I was coming, and made an attack on the temple to draw away my attention from her real actions." _And I fell for it…_

Seiga takes all this in and nods. "I see. So she's a bit like me sometimes."

_What? Don't agree with her methods! _I mentally shout at her.

I ignore that remark and go on. "R-regardless, I cannot focus on finding her yet. Gensokyo is making her strong, and she still has much more room to grow even stronger. I need to prepare myself to face her. I need more magic and better weapons to face her and her undead minions. Byakuren has given me the power to learn simple spells from books and scrolls, so I've gotten started on magic, but before I go looking for magic I need weapons and ammo. I don't have any means of self-defense right now other than this knife."

"Ah, so that's why you need Rika." Reimu says. "Still, I'm sorry I can't help. I don't know where she is."

Seiga begins to smile. "Oh, that tank engineer? I know her."

_Huh? _"You do?"

She smiles wider. "Boy, when you can pass through walls at will there isn't a lot you _don't _know."

_This… this is some good news! Maybe this person can help me then._

"Will you help me find her?" I ask.

Reimu puts a hand on my shoulder. "Joseph, this isn't the kind of person you want to trust. She's a wicked hermit; a person who has given up humanity for their own gain. She's dangerous."

Seiga pouts at Reimu. "Aww. You make me sound so bad when you say it like that…"

"You take people's possessions and sell them off to others because it's funny." Reimu deadpans.

"Details, details…" Seiga dismissively says as she walks up close to me. "Joseph was it? For the sake of a common enemy, I'll help you all you want. If you help me defeat this thief and get my hairpin back, I'll throw in a nice reward for you. What do you say? Deal?"

I take a step back. "Hold on a moment. I want to trust you, but I want to trust Reimu's word too. How do I know you aren't trying to trick me?"

"I want my hairpin back. The Wall Passing Chisel does what it says; it lets me pass through walls. Without it, everything will just be oh so boring. I need it, and you need me. So do you want to do this or not?" She says with crossed arms.

_I don't think I have any choice. If she's serious about this, than she could make for a powerful ally. But I'm essentially at her whim until we get to Rika, and she could easily turn on me any time after that too._

I think hard for another seconds before making my decision. _I hope I'm not making a mistake…_

I nod. "Very well. If you're willing to help me than I'll take the help."

Reimu sighs. "I hope you know what you are doing."

Seiga claps her hands together. "Very good. Well then, let's be off. Rika is not too far from here actually. Come along Joseph and Yoshika. Let's be off."

The way she said my name all cutesy like makes me a little uneasy.

_Ugh… she's already putting me on the same level as her minion. Oh, this is going to be trouble, I know it._

Yoshika merrily follows Seiga's lead, and I reluctantly follow behind them.

"Hey!" Reimu shouts from behind. "Is it too much to at least give me a little something for the trouble? You did get the help you need at my shrine after all."

"Oh right…" Seiga groans. "That donation thing…"

She turns to her minion and hands her a few large coins. "Yoshika, be a dear and toss this in the donation box would you?"

"Right away!"

Yoshika spins around and wobbles her way over to the front of the shrine where the box sits.

Strangely, she stops a short distance away from the box. She raises back her arm…

"Aaaaand. Throw!" Yoshika says as she tosses the coins at the donation box.

The coins fly through the air and clatter along the ground before stopping just short of the donations box.

Yoshika looks down at her miss. "Aww… I didn't make it."

Reimu groans as she is forced to walk over and pick up the money. "You didn't have to actually… you know what? Forget it. I'll just go get it. Thank you…"

"Ok! You're welcome!" Yoshika says as she spins back toward us.

Seiga giggles. "Hehehe… isn't she just the cutest little thing?"

_Oh, this is going to be a mess of a journey… _I silently reply.

Reimu gives one last wave to me as we depart. "Take care of yourself Joseph."

I wave back. "I will. Thank you Reimu."

Seiga and Yoshika lead as we leave of the shrine and back down the steps.

"It's this way, back towards the human village. She lives in a hidden workshop underground between here and the human village. Any normal person would miss it. Once you know it though, it can be found easily." Seiga says as she starts to lead us off the road and into the tall grass fields.

I don't reply to her. I can't help but think about my enemy's plans.

_A device that can pass through walls. I have no idea why the Nightcaster would want something like that. Is there something else the chisel itself can do? Or does she need it for some nefarious purpose of hers? Hmm…_

"You're being quiet back there."

I look up to see Seiga staring back at me.

_Err… _"Should I be saying something?"

"You don't seem bothered for being accompanied by two non-humans. Given that you're a youkai hunter, you seem pretty composed." She replies.

I sigh. "I've been in stranger situations. If you think I'm comfortable though, then you're wrong. I still have my doubts about you Seiga, especially since you aren't human, but I have no choice but to trust you for now."

"Oh, come on now Joseph. You can give me a little more trust than that. Me and you aren't too different you know." She says with a slight smile.

_Hmph. _"No, we're very different. Don't' try to sway me with those words. I've heard it a million times in my travels."

This only makes her laugh. "Hahaha! So you're some kind of professional then? How cute. I bet you know _so_ much more than me and my thousands of years of life experience. Hehehe. But, seriously now, I'm not lying to you."

Her arrogance is irritating, but I give her a chance to explain herself. "Fine then, tell me how you are like me."

"I was human once." She begins. "Like many youkai and supernatural beings, we were human just like you. A hermit is just a person who gives up their humanity and becomes something more than an ordinary person. People who desire greater things like, inner peace, magical power, legendary skills, or other things like that often find themselves on the path of the hermit. Now, all of these things a human can already do, but at a certain point these quests will lead beyond the limits of a human being. In pursuit of these higher goals, people will inevitably attain a greater state of being, and they become something more than human; just like I have."

She then smiles a wicked smile at me. "You are already on that path yourself. Given more time and effort, you could become just like me."

_What does she mean by that?_ "That's some outlandish thinking. I haven't done anything special, and I'm certainly not in the pursuit of any higher goals."

She chuckles. "Hehehe. How cute. You haven't noticed yet have you? You're already beginning to change. I can see it. You've gained new powers and skills. You're learning magic. You're pushing yourself beyond what an ordinary person would be willing to. You're already beginning to let go of your humanity."

She turns to focus on me. "If you want, I may be willing to help you let go of the rest."

_What? _"You mean make me a hermit like you? Why would you do that?"

"Well I said there was a reward wasn't there?" She says. "I doubt you would care for material things, so what if I showed you some of my secrets instead? Wouldn't you like to get away from all the bothers of being human? Long life, great power, and amazing magic. I can help you get there. I think it would be a great idea! What do you say?"

I shake my head. "No. I'm not taking up such a whimsical offer. I don't need your reward. I can do this without your crazy powers."

"My, aren't you stubborn." She says with a slight chuckle. "Fine then. I'll let it slide… for now."

_For now?_

She spins around and resumes leading without another word on it.

I want to say something about that last remark, but Yoshika suddenly speaks up. "Ah? Seiga, I think that's the spot."

Seiga enthusiastically pets her minion. "Very good Yoshika! You remembered it!"

"Hehe…" Yoshika giggles with a cute smile.

I don't see anything here but a large flat rock on the ground.

_I guess this is a hidden entrance._

"I may not be able to pass through walls now." Seiga says as she walks to the stone. "But I still know a few tricks for bypassing locks."

_Wait, hold on now! _"Are we breaking in? I need to befriend her, not anger her! How is she supposed to trust me if I come in through a locked door?"

"What do you want to do, knock on the ground?" She sarcastically replies. "Trust me, this is the only way. Now be quiet for a second."

I let her continue with her magic, in spite of my nervousness. _I hope she's right…_

Seiga draws some magic on the stone and casts a spell on it. Everything is quiet for a few seconds, but the stone eventually responds.

The rock slides away with a strangely mechanical sound, as if it was riding on gears, and reveals a large hole beneath it.

_That must be-_

My thought is interrupted by as another sound rises up from the darkness of the hole. A round platform rises up out of the ground and takes the spot of the rock. On it is a switch for up and down.

_Oh. That must be the way down then._

Seiga steps onto the platform. "Alright. Get on you two."

I step on, and so does Yoshika. It's tight with three people, especially with Yoshika's arms sticking out, but we manage.

I reach over and throw the switch back to down and the platform begins to climb back down. The ride down is quiet among the three of us.

After a few seconds of riding down, the narrow lift opens into a short hallway with a metal door at the end. It definitely looks like the entrance to some workshop or factory.

Seiga and Yoshika step off the platform first. "Well this is the place."

_Indeed… finally here. It only took me half a day…_

Seiga steps up to the door, but stops before opening it.

She turns around to me. "You might want to open it and introduce yourself first, given that you're the one needing the help."

"Right. I'll go first." I say as I step past her and up to the door.

_Alright. _I nervously think to myself. _Rika. I hope you can help me where Nitori couldn't._

I take a deep breath and grab the metal handle and push down to open the door.

_Ok, here goes._

With that, I slowly swing the door aside and step into Rika's workshop.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter!

I had a lot of fun with these characters. Reimu has a lot of interpretations in the fandom. I kind of wanted her to be a calm/no-nonsense individual. I see her as the kind of person who always has her priorities straight, and doesn't mess around when she sense trouble. While she does get a bit of mention here, I didn't really want to focus on her character so much this time, as she won't be playing any significant roles until a while later.

Instead, I really wanted to give a more time to Seiga Kaku, who is going to be a supporting role for a while. I wanted to keep her attitude and bad personality by making her selfish and arrogant, but I still needed her to have a reason for helping Joseph. I thought having an attachment to her hairpin would be a good way to do that while still letting her have a selfish motive. I also wanted to try and show some of her attitude as a manipulative master, and hint at some possible danger she may pose to Joseph and his humanity.

Also, I let Yoshika kind of take a joke role here again to lighten up the mood between the seriousness of these characters. Elsewise I feared this chapter may have been too moody or dull. I hope that came off well.

Thank you again for reading my story. I'll have the next ready soon.


	15. Chapter 15

**The cage broken. The power revealed. Night descends on Gensokyo.**

* * *

The interior of the workshop is bright. Electric powered lights dangle from the ceiling over this large garage room.

Scattered around the edges of this rectangular room are all kinds of large tools and pieces of equipment; a few of which seem vaguely similar to ones I know. The place is large, but also very crowded because of the clutter.

But it's mostly so crowded because of the large vehicle in here.

"What is that thing?" I mutter to myself.

On one side of the room, lifted up on a platform, is a large armored vehicle. It looks like a tank, but certainly not one like I'd have thought. The armor is painted bright red, and the barrel and turret are decorated with flowers and vines. It looks like a tank, but I don't understand the strange color schematic.

Still, I am impressed to see one of these things. I've only ever caught a glimpse of these a few times back on my world. Thousands of moving parts working all at once with each other. Tanks are marvels of modern combat engineering. I can hardly believe a single person could build this on her own.

"You seem interested in it." Notes Seiga from behind me.

"I am, sort of." I reply "I used to be an engineer student, and I still miss it a little. I wasn't into weapons technology as I was other things, but I still thought that tanks like this were pretty interesting. Seeing one of these again is just a nostalgia thing form me."

"Oh, well. Good for you I guess." She dismissively says. "I've only read books about these, so I don't actually know what it does. But, if you're happy, then I guess I'm fine with it too."

Seiga then turns around and starts scanning the room. "But… that girl doesn't seem to be here."

_Maybe she's in the back or something?_

I try calling out for her. "Hello? Rika? Are you here?"

Immediately, I get a dull thud from the tank. The sudden noise causes me to step back in surprise.

"Hello?" I hesitantly ask.

A slow moan is all I get back.

_Well, someone is definitely here._

After a few more seconds of awkward silence, a figure emerges from beneath the tank, rubbing her head from a bump she took. She's a short, skinny brown-haired girl wearing a baggy white shirt and brown pants crawls out from beneath the tank. Her shirt and pants are marred with black stains, engine oil by my guess, and the tool in her hands is slick with grease.

As soon as she spots me from her spot on the platform, her eyes widen in shock.

"Eh? P-people? Aw crap!"

She swiftly jumps down from the platform and runs over to one side of the room and hits a series of switches on a panel there. A loud warning siren screeches again and again as a metal gate begins to descend down the middle of the garage in front of us.

She steps in front of us and crosses her arms in a defiant stance as the metal door seals off the half of the garage with the tank.

"This is a restricted area." She states, trying to sound intimidating despite her high-pitched voice. "You three aren't allowed to be in here. Get out of here now!"

_Well, we're off to a good start. _I sarcastically think to myself.

To make matter's worse, Seiga comments. "Aww, aren't you just the cutest little thing. To think you can tell us what to do like that. So adorable. Hmhmhm."

"Hey! I'm serious!" Rika shouts back. "And don't pull your tough girl act either! In case you haven't noticed, I've got my guns all over you already!"

_What?_

I quickly scan around the room for what she means. Sure enough, I find a trio of guns hanging upside down from the roof, each looking at us with a single red eye.

_That's definitely not good. I better calm her down or I'll be cannon fodder._

But before I can say anything, Seiga makes yet another witty retort. "Well well well, you've certainly been doing some upgrades since I've been down here. I must admit, you _almost _had me worried there."

_Seiga…_

Rika points angrily at Seiga. "So that was YOU! You're the one who broke in and took my tool set! Give it back to me you thief!"

This only makes the hermit chuckle. "Hehehehe. What are you going to do about it little girl? Fight me for it?"

Rika begins to turn red. "Grrr…"

_Ok, that's enough of that. _"Ok you two; let's back up for a second. And Seiga? Just stop, please."

Seiga huffs. "Fine, fine."

Rika then looks at me. "What do _you _want? I've got no business with you. Get out."

"That's what I wanted to bring up." I begin. "My name is Joseph. These two girls are Seiga and Yoshika. We, mostly just me, need your help."

"Help how?" She asks.

"I've heard you're an expert in mechanized warfare. I'm a youkai hunter in need of some ammo and possibly a new gun for a hunt I'm on. I was wondering if you may be willing to loan us some of your skills to help us." I reply.

"You heard that right. Gensokyo's greatest engineer, Rika! Ahaha!" She proudly declares.

But she soon goes back to her questioning glare. "But, why should I help any of you? You've all broken into my home unannounced, and one of you has stolen from me."

_Hmm…_"I understand that Rika, and I'm sorry for the intrusion. It was the only way I knew to find you though. I need your help, bad. Now, I'm not unreasonable, and I trust you aren't either, so perhaps, you might be willing to negotiate on this?"

She thinks for a second, pacing back and forth in a short area, before turning to me and answering.

"Well. I mightbe willing to forget the intrusion and offer a little help… for a price." She quietly says.

_Alright. I got this far. Now I just need to convince her so that this deal turns out in my favor._

_But first… _"Great. I'm glad you're willing to talk. But first, can we maybe do something about the guns? I can't really negotiate while being aimed at."

She nods and walks back to the panel on the wall. She hits a switch and the turrets fold up and retract back into the roof.

She then turns back to us. "Alright then Joseph, let's negotiate. Like you said, I'm not unreasonable, but I'm also very busy. My time and efforts will be expensive."

"Expensive how?" I cautiously ask.

"As in _expensive_." She says while rubbing her fingers together.

_Uh oh. _"Money? What are you going to do with that? You live down here don't you? You don't need money do you? Can't it be something else?"

She shakes her head. "No way. I still need to get food every now and then you know. I don't exactly get anything down here, and unlike a certain blue-haired girl I don't steal. The materials and tools for my work also take money, so I'll need to be compensated for those too. I can't do this for free Joseph. You want me to work for you? Then I want to get paid."

"H-how much?" I nervously ask.

"Hmm…" She thinks for a moment. "Ammo is easy for me, so I'll be reasonable there. Guns take a bit of work though… so let's say… five and… one hundred? Yeah, that sounds good. Five thousand yen and I'll take care of any ammo needs for any one weapon. If you want me to engineer new weapons though, then you're looking at one hundred thousand."

Seiga scoffs at her. "One hundred? Such greed. How very human-like of you…"

_Crap. I can't deal with that. I have no money at all!_

"Rika." I humbly begin. "This isn't much of a negotiation on your part if you aren't going to budge. Can it be anything other than money?"

"Well…" She thinks for a moment. "I guess I'll take any treasure or jewels. I can sell those to collectors, so that works too."

_That doesn't help me you idiot… _I silently reply.

But Seiga then speaks up. "Well, if your disgusting human greed is what determines the success of this pursuit, then perhaps I may be able to trade off some of my old junk relics to get money to satisfy you."

_Huh? _"Seiga? You would do that?"

"Hmhmhm." She quietly chuckles. "Surprised? As a hermit, I have both created and acquired a good deal of magical treasures and tools in my life. Although I have no interest in material possessions, I own quite a bit of wealth. You never know when you may need it to please some greedy human or evil spirit in order to get your way."

"And why should I trust you? You're a thief!" Rika angrily replies. "And you still owe me for those tools!"

"Oh, calm down you fool. I'll give you back your worthless toolset too. Just promise to help this man and I'll make sure you are rewarded for it." Seiga impatiently shoots back.

Rika sighs and agrees. "Fine. I'm not happy with it, but if she can pay for it… then I don't see any reason not to."

"So… is it a deal then?" I ask.

Seiga nods. "Deal."

Rika also agrees. "Deal."

"Deal!" Yoshika exclaims for no reason.

"Deal then." I finish while ignoring the outburst. "You help me, and Seiga will offer you money you need to take care of yourself in exchange for your time and services."

"Agreed." Rika replies.

Seiga begins to move back towards the door. "Well, I suppose I had best get back then. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Where are you going?" I ask, surprised that her sudden decision to leave for the day.

"Well, I'll need to dig out my old junk and start selling it off to pay for this." She says without looking back. "Yoshika, stay here. Be a good girl and stay out of their way while they work."

Yoshika nods. "I'll do my best!"

With that, Seiga heads out the door.

She looks back to me before shutting it. "Joseph, you'd best be ready to start looking for this Nightcaster by the time I get back. I want to get this over with soon."

"I'll try to be quick here" I reply.

Seiga nods at that and shuts the door. With her gone, it's just me with these two girls.

_Seiga certainly doesn't seem to care for Rika's demands. I hope she's ok with this. I wanted to be done with her after getting here, but it seems I have to rely on her even more now. I hope she doesn't get the idea to try and indebt me to her for this._

"Well…" Rika begins. "I suppose I could use a break from my usual work. I really wasn't planning on this though… So, what is it you wanted?"

"Hm?"

"You had something in mind, right?" Rika says with crossed arms.

_I hadn't really thought of this yet. If I got a new weapon, what would it be?_

"Well, what equipment do we have?" I say, trying to stall for time.

She motions for me to follow. "Lots. Come, I'll show."

Rika starts to lead me to a side door to another room. It looks like this place has more to it. Yoshika seems content with doing nothing as usual, so I leave her standing there and follow Rika to the next room.

As I step into the room, I am overwhelmed right away.

"Whoa…" I mutter.

"Hehe! Nice isn't it? There's a third room that has even more." Rika says with a grin.

The room is the same size as the last room. But rather than having vehicle equipment and tools, this one is all for weapons. All different kinds of reloading benches, forges, molds, and other things are all around the room. There is enough equipment to make any kind of modern weapon of any size. This room could supply an army if it was fully manned, and she says there's more too.

"So, what do you think now?" Rika asks.

_I could make anything from ammo to pistols to rifles to cannons in here. The amount of equipment is immense._

_But I certainly won't need a cannon. I think I know of something I might have use for._

As I glance around, I find a plain old desk with some papers and pens on it. I walk over to it and clear away some of the mess and draw a fresh sheet of paper.

Even though I never finished my engineering classes, I still learned a great deal in the universities I went to. With Rika's expertise, I should be able to guide us to constructing a new weapon that will hopefully give me an edge of the numerous strong youkai in Gensokyo.

As I put the pen to the paper and start my concept sketch, I can't help but feel a little nostalgia. I feel like I'm my old self, working on a project for my class. I remember those times spending hours working on concepts and building schematics for new machines and crazy inventions.

_Hm… just like old times? Ha. I didn't think I'd get to do this again anytime soon._

With a slight grin, I quickly draw out my sketch design and begin working on the new weapon alongside Rika.

"So I'm thinking something like this…"

* * *

"Finally ready?" Yukari says, somewhat bored.

Master Yukari has invited me to watch this achievement the girl is about to make. I don't understand what is going on, but these preparations make me nervous. I heard she has been preparing this all day since this morning.

The Nightcaster nods. "Yep! Ready Komachi?"

The shinigami nods as well. "Sure thing."

_She even got that shinigami to help with this. I wonder what on earth is going on. I have a bad feeling about this… _I mentally think to myself.

The Nightcaster mutters to herself. "All this work is coming down to this moment. I've been waiting all day for this to work… Now, I will finally have the ultimate power of the shadow realm."

She looks to Komachi. "Remember what I told you now?"

"Yes yes, I know." She says with a sigh. "You're gonna open the portal and I'm going to close the distance to this thing, right?"

"Yes. I made the target a little bit easier for you to see. I worked some magic on the shadow realm so the cage stands out against the abyss, so all you have to do is find it and bring it to us." The magician adds.

She then turns to the center of the room where the spell circle is. "Ok, ready? One… two…"

A portal opens up with a loud roar. The realm of chaos she calls the shadow realm opens up before us.

The world in the portal zooms by as she moves the other end of the portal forward, and it soon arrives at an endless darkness. The abyss.

Komachi peers into the dark, but finds nothing.

"I dunno Nightcaster. I-whoa, wait! I think I see something."

"Yes! It worked!" The Nightcaster says with a wicked smile. "That's it Komachi, use your powers!"

Komachi points at the spot for a second as she concentrates on it.

Then, with a sudden snap of her fingers, the object appears right before the portal. Her distance manipulation has brought them to the end of the abyss in a flash.

"Distance closed." Komachi says with a grin. "Easy."

Yukari quietly claps. "Very well done you two."

The Nightcaster trembles in place as she beholds the large black marble-like cube floating in the dark.

"T-this is it! The cage right here! I can't believe this! I'm actually going to do this!" She says in a shaky voice.

She moves her portal closer to the solid face of the cube and stops. With a trembling hand, she takes the Wall Passing Chisel she stole and puts it against the wall and draws a circle.

Just as expected, the wall parts before the power of the chisel. A hole just big enough for her portal appears, and from it she can move inside.

"T-this is it!" She whispers. "The cage broken! The power revealed! Now, it is all mine! Ah! I can't believe this is finally coming true!"

She slowly moves her portal through the hole in the wall moves towards the center of the cage.

From what I can see, the room is empty, but heavily spelled and protected. In the middle of the room is a burning pillar of magical fire. The pillar seems to be the goal here, as the Nightcaster moves towards it.

She stops right before the pillar and holds her portal in place. With a shaky hand, she reaches into her portal and into the roaring flames. The fire does not seem to harm her hand at all as she reaches into the fire and grasps onto something.

"I got you. Come on now. Come to me. Let's get you out of there." She coos as she draws the object out of the fire. As soon as it leaves the column of fire, it dies, and the magic in the room goes out with it.

She finally fully withdraws her hand from the portal, and it immediately closes.

Both Komachi and Yukari clap as the spectacle ends.

_So that is it? Just what is that thing then? A… sword?"_

I can clearly see the thing she retrieved to be a sword. The handle is old leather, and looks cracked from age. The entire length of the long straight blade is engraved with red runes like her arm and hand is. The blade is jet black, and I can hear whispering voices coming from it. The weapon looks powerful, and evil.

The Nightcaster falls to her knees with the blade in her hands. "The… the… the Forgotten Sword. The real thing! Here, in my hands! It's a dream come true!"

She smiles as she gently runs her fingers down the length of the narrow blade. "But you aren't forgotten anymore. No no, I came to save you my love. Hehehe. Since you aren't forgotten anymore, then you need a new name. Henceforth, you will be my Sword of Night. Does that sound good?"

The sword makes some ominous whispering, no different then before.

"Good. I'm so happy you like it." She replies with a slight chuckle. "Now then…"

She stands back up from her dramatic collapse and grasps the sword in her hand. She takes a deep breath, and she swings it in a wide arc in front of her. Tendrils of powerful black magic fly out from her weapon's tip and strike the wall. The room and entire house rumbles as the powerful magic erupts from her swing.

I nearly choke as she does so.

_Ugh! The barrier shook! Gensokyo's barrier shook! That sword could split the Hakurei barrier like paper! That thing is way too powerful! Master Yukari, have you lost your mind?_

"So… much… power…" She gasps as she looks at the blade. "All this power I feel… all pouring into me as I hold onto this blade. This is truly amazing. And I've only just begun to use it! Once I unlock all its power and am able to control this sword, I'll be invincible! I'll be able to do anything! I can't be stopped now! Hahaha! Ahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

She begins to slip away into a power-induced stupor and begins laughing maniacally at everything. She is in another place now. The sword has given is giving her more power than her mind can comprehend.

All the while Yukari and Komachi continue to remain static in place. Saying nothing. Komachi just stands there looking as laid back as always, and Yukari just maintains the same sly smiles on her face as always.

…

I open a gap behind me and step back out. My departure is unnoticed.

I close the gap behind me and begin to travel home.

_I know without a doubt now. This girl… this… twisted soul is dangerous. She must be stopped. Something is wrong with Master and most likely Komachi as well. She has done something to blind their reason, I know it. Yukari can have some strange notions of fun, but she would never allow this in Gensokyo. Something must be done._

_As Yukari's Shikigami, I cannot raise a hand against her, and Chen is nowhere near strong enough._

_I must do something else. I must find this man that is after the Nightcaster. He may be the only one who knows how to deal with this now. I need to find this Joseph person and warn him of this development. With his help, I may be able to overthrow this magician's control over Yukari and end this madness before it gets worse. I only hope I haven't waited too long already._

I look down and continue my thoughts. _Yet I cannot go searching across Gensokyo openly. Yukari has eyes on me all the time and she will undoubtedly warn the Nightcaster that I am not on her side, and quite possibly force me to stop if I try to do anything. I need to know where this hunter is and direct him to a place where we can safely meet._

_Yukari doesn't watch Chen though. Chen could go out unnoticed…_

I sigh as I silently accept the only option I have to deal with this.

"I was going to wait a little longer, but Chen is already getting older I suppose. Perhaps… it is finally time I gave her something more to do than just chores. " I mutter to myself.

With my plan in mind, I set out through the gap and begin my fight against the Nightcaster and her minions. For the safety of Gensokyo, she must be stopped.

* * *

Minutes pass. Hours pass. Night comes quickly.

Yet we are finished before the day even ends.

While it took me a few minutes to get it warmed up again, the once dead passion for engineering once again runs right alongside my blood as a Slayer. I find most of the equipment and materials to be similar to ones on my world, and before I know it I'm running equipment and operating tools just like I used to.

When it comes to engineering and inventing, improvisation and ingenuity are my fortes, while I am weaker in actual equipment operation and assembly. I've never been a hand's on person much, and am prone to mistakes on difficult equipment.

Rika on the other hand is an expert at operating her equipment, and can do so with incredible efficiency. Yet her desire to constantly follow manuals and written instruction are a hindrance to my plans. She considers my ideas to be 'too exotic' or 'old fashioned' at times.

We've had a few arguments and disagreements throughout these few hours, and I've had to convince her several times to let me use the equipment how I want. But with my ideas and her expertise, we were able to drive her tools and machines in new ways that impressed the both of us, and with all the materials and tools we could possibly need on hand, it took us no time at all to assemble all the different ammo I need for my now two weapons.

Now that the day is winding down and the job is over, we both take a seat along the far wall and rest after our work.

_Whew. Good to sit down for a second._

But as I sit, Rika suddenly gets up and walks out of the room. A minute later, and she returns some food and drinks. Just some buttered bread and water, but still a nice gesture.

_Oh? _"What's this?"

"Well, you're thirsty aren't you?" She says. "And it's been six hours and neither of us has eaten anything."

I gladly take a cup and a piece of bread. "Thanks. Didn't think you the generous type Rika."

Indeed, she had been very demanding during the work. She was at first surprised at my willingness to help in the creation process, but once that passed she immediately took the role as the superior in the project.

She scoffs at my remark. "Well if you're going to be like that then-"

"Ah, sorry sorry. I didn't mean that. You're right, I am thirsty. Those power tools get rather hot." I quickly reply while trying to change the subject.

Rika lets my remark go and agrees. "Yeah. Unfortunately. There isn't a lot of ventilation underground, so it gets hot sometimes."

_That reminds me. _"Rika, I wanted to ask this earlier, but why all the secrecy? Why are you underground?"

"It's a long story." She says with a sigh. "But a few years back, I suffered a humiliating defeat in a fight, and I'm trying to make a comeback into Gensokyo's power balance. I've hidden myself so that people will forget me, and when I return I intend to make a good first impression on just how strong I really am."

_Ah, always about the fighting here in Gensokyo. _I silently mutter.

"You've probably already guessed it." She goes on. "But science isn't popular here in Gensokyo. When I first said I wanted to be an engineer, I was a laughing stock. When I tried to show them the power of my engineering, I was beaten down. I've been underestimated since day one."

She then dramatically clenches her fist. "But I'll show them. My new flower tank is bigger and tougher than ever before. I'll show those arrogant youkai and that scummy shrine maiden how strong I can be! Rika will be a name to be respected and feared, mark my words!"

_Shrine maiden? _I think to myself. _Reimu? She must not be on good terms with her. Or she could just be out to get everyone. I could see her doing that…_

Still, I admire her determination. "Well, good luck."

She nods. "Thanks. I'll do my best."

_Haha. I bet you'll do just fine without my help._

We continue pass a few minutes with idle conversation and snacking on bread before we finish up for the night.

Rika stands up and makes her way out of the assembly room and towards a door in the back. "Well, I'm going to bed. I guess if you want… you can sleep out here. Sorry, I don't have any accommodations for anyone but me here. There's a bench in the garage room if you want to lay down there."

I am in desperate need for sleep, so I gladly agree. "Yes, thank you. That sounds great."

Rika nods and steps out. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." I reply.

I stand up and make my way back to the first room and find the long cushioned bench she mentioned positioned next to the wall.

Yoshika is still in here, humming to herself.

She notices me as I step in. "Hello human person. Seiga's still gone."

Ignoring the fact she still doesn't get my name, I agree. "Yeah. Seiga will be back tomorrow."

"Yep! She will!"

"Well…" I sigh. "I'm going to sleep in here. Don't make too much noise would you?"

"Ok." She responds.

I go over to the bench and lie down on it. Yoshika resumes humming to herself.

Her gentle humming combines with my exhaustion to make me unbearably tired. As soon as I lie down and close my eyes I fall asleep and drift away into a slumber. Finally, I get some much needed rest.

* * *

"Ugh… I really need some rest…" I mutter to myself.

I shake myself to stay awake for a second before resuming my guard stance.

_Just a little longer. Almost done for the night. Keep it up a little longer Meiling…_

Before me is the misty lake; shining in the dim light of a fading moon. Behind is the iron gate which I guard, and beyond is our esteemed mansion.

Sakuya has really been pushing me this evening. I've gotten almost no breaks today and barely anything to eat. Usually, she does this when I screw up on the job and is trying to punish me for it. While I do make mistakes from time to time, like that wicked Marisa breaking in, I don't know what the problem is this time.

I can't help but feel like this time is different. The mistress has been very distraught the past few days, and Sakuya follows right after her in stressing out.

_I wonder… does the mistress foresee some threat in her fate? Perhaps Sakuya is working me harder to protect the mansion from some fated encounter?_

_Then if that's the case. My job must be more important than ever! I will not disappoint our glorious Scarlet Devil Mansion!_ I confidently think as I harden my guard stance.

As I do so, I immediately notice an approaching figure.

_Aha! an intruder no doubt! I, Hong Meiling, will not allow our mansion to fall to this knave!_

I take a fighting stance and shout towards the approaching figure in warning. "Who goes there?"

Slowly, a woman steps into the dim light of the gate's torch. She is dressed like a magician, and has burning magic letters on her arm and bright red eyes. Floating at her side like some kind of follower is a pitch black sword of some strange origin.

This woman reeks of dishonest intentions.

"No one is allowed into the mansion at this time! Turn back you witch!" I shout.

She only giggles. "Hehehe… How cute. A little gate guard trying to intimidate the almighty Nightcaster! Hahahaha!"

_Guh? I've been laughed at? How dare she! I hope you try something witch, because I would gladly straighten out those foul manners you have._

She then turns to her sword floating beside her. "Now then, My Sword of Night. Let us begin. It is time for us to show this world what true power is."

Without saying a single word to me, she magically manipulates her sword. Her sword swings sideways on its own, and a burning red rift in space appears where the blade cut. Several strange creatures begin to emerge from the portal's depths and begin to make their way towards me.

_A summoner! This is not good! I'm outnumbered!_

I hesitantly look around as more unearthly minions begin to surround me.

I deliver a quick round kick to the few in front of me, driving them back, but I am immediately overtaken from beneath as even more minions emerge below me and pull me down to the ground. I struggle to escape, but a flurry of claws, teeth, and blades all pin me down to the ground.

I hear the woman giggling as she uses her sword to hurl fire and lightning into the mansion, besieging it with her army of minions and her dark powers.

The magician continues talking to herself. "With this sword, I will feed off the suffering of this world and become all powerful. I will control everything. This world will burn before my power, starting with this mansion. Hehehahaha!"

I begin to black out as the attacking monsters overwhelm me.

_NO! Argh! I couldn't even do a thing to stop this! This must be what Remilia feared! I wasn't even able to do a thing to stop this! Ah! I'm sorry everyone! I'm sorry…_

"Burn. Burn. Burn! Hahaha! This world is mine! HAHAHAHA!"

Darkness begins to cloud my vision, and my mind begins to fade away. All I hear now is the maniacal chatter of the magician. I fear what terrible fate she will bring on this place now.

Then, with one final struggle, I collapse.

Darkness descends.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter. Sorry this one took so long. I got dragged away from my writing this thanksgiving weekend.

So now that I'm back, I pick the story back up by revealing Rika. Since there isn't a lot of detailed information on the personalities of the 98 era characters, I will often take liberties on their personalities and physical interpretations. Given that much time has passed since Story of Eastern Wonderland's events, Rika is now older, smarter, and even more hot-headed then before. Yet her goals and motives allowed her to be reasoned with, and she is going to play a strong supporting role as the story goes on.

Also, I reveal (and finish with) The revelation of the true threat of the Nightcaster. The Sword of Night is sort her villainous deus ex machina in this story, and learning about and overcoming it is going to be one of the main obstacles for Joseph as he makes his way towards finding and facing the Nightcaster. The next few events involving Charity are going to be establishing her as her villain role and working her towards the first confrontation with Joseph.

Anyways, that's it. Again, sorry it took so long. Finals week is coming up, but after that I should be back to regular upload speed.

Thank you again. I hope to have the next chapter teady soon.


	16. Chapter 16

**Desperate times call for desperate measures. Are you willing to make a deal with this devil?**

* * *

It is morning now. It has been for a few hours. Although I wouldn't be able to tell the difference without that clock on the wall.

I note the time as just after nine o'clock and resume my work on the weapon we finished last night. Using a tiny screwdriver, I make one last small adjustment to the spring resistance of the weapon's crank mechanism.

"Something up?" Rika asks from behind as she enters the room.

"Not really." I reply. "Just tightening the crank on this thing. After that it should be good."

"Ugh, this again?" She says with a sigh. "I'm telling you, if you tighten it like that you're not going to be able to turn it."

"And I'm telling you four rotations is too long." I shoot back. "I want to be able to load this in three. Besides, it's my weapon. Let me handle the comfort and fine tuning issues. I'm going to be the one using it after all, and I think I can handle the higher tension."

She reluctantly concedes and allows me to finish. I take a few more minutes to perform a few last minute checks and adjustments before concluding.

"There. Done." I say as I place the crossbow on the table in front of me and examine it.

All of our hard work has gone into making this crossbow from scratch. The weapon is finished in bronze, a superficial touch done at my request, and is as long as my arm outstretched plus a few, just the right length for my shooting style. In spite of its primitive appearance, this is a very heavy-duty weapon, and it holds an extremely high tension when drawn back. The tension is so high, that the bow string can't even be pulled back by hand. Instead, a rotatory crank on the side pulls back the string mechanically; turn by turn.

All that combined with a telescoping sight, this weapon is an high-power long-range monster of a crossbow.

_Yeah… this should do me just fine._

I then turn to the small box next to the table I've been working on. In it is all the ammo I need for my weapons. We made sure to make plenty for both my weapons.

I begin to load myself up on the different bullets and bolts. Standard bullets, silver bullets, and a few flash shots for the pistol, and broad heads, armor piercings, and a few incendiaries for the crossbow. All kinds of ammo for different combat scenarios.

_Plenty of shots to spare now. Along with my trusty knife, I am ready for whatever challenge Gensokyo may throw my way…_

_Maybe…_

I know realistically, all this ammo is only giving me a superficial sense of security. It won't make much of a difference against real magic wielding opponents, but I still feel better knowing that I can shoot back at the enemy just as well as they can shoot at me.

Donning a shoulder strap for the crossbow, I store my new weapon and finish grabbing ammo. In a few minutes, I'm ready to set out.

At that moment, I hear the opening of a door back in the first room.

"Seiga! You're back!" I hear Yoshika exclaim.

_Well. Time to go I guess._

Both me and Rika walk back towards the entrance to find Seiga being hugged by her undead minion.

"I miiiiiissshed yoooou!" Yoshika cries in a muffled voice as she happily buries herself into Seiga.

Seiga chuckles as she pets Yoshika back. "Yes. Good to see you again Yoshika. Come on now, stand up straight. I have business to do."

"Right!" Yoshika says as she quickly jumps over to her side and stands erect.

Seiga steps over to the two of us. She gives a dismissive nod to Rika and turns her attention to me first.

"Joseph." She begins. "It seems you were busy last night. I hope you are ready to get going."

I nod and give a firm tap to the crossbow hanging over my shoulders. "Yeah. Everything's good. Loaded and rearmed."

At that, she takes a paper that was in her hand and thrusts it at me. "Good. Then read this."

I take the folded up paper, a newspaper, and open it up. Following her instruction, I read the front page's headline to myself.

It reads…

'Kakashi Spirit News

The Scarlet Devil Mansion Blackened: Mysterious youkai raid leaves famous mansion in shambles and head of security Hong Meiling missing.

Late last night while Gensokyo slept, the famous Nightless Castle, the Scarlet Devil Mansion, was attacked by a large group of unknown youkai. During the attack, several youkai whose identities are still unknown to us at Kakashi Spirit attacked and pillaged the mansion. Many residents were injured, and countless valuables were demolished. All the while, magical strikes from an unknown source bombarded the mansion; causing tremendous structural damage and injuring many more fairies and servants.

'It was nothing less than a total siege. There was nothing we could do.' One fairy maid comments.

However, as of this morning the attackers have been repelled by the mansion's mistress, Remilia Scarlet, and her allies. The bombarding was also reported to have stopped a short while after it started, and now there is little remaining of the initial attack.

Unfortunately, the mansion's gate guard and head of security Hong Meiling is nowhere to be seen. We have been informed by a fairy that she was out guarding that night when the attack arrived. We can only pray that she somehow managed to escape the overwhelming odds that she must have encountered that night.

While the mansion's mistress has refused to comment on the attack or let us search the mansion, we will continue to talk with witnesses and research the incident from the outside, and will return with an update in next week's edition of Kakashi Spirit News.'

I set the paper down and grimace.

_It's her. No doubt. But… besieging an entire mansion on a whim? She's strong, but not that strong. This can't be good._

"I think it's time we paid a visit to the mansion." Seiga drily says.

I nod. "There may be a few clues as to her whereabouts there. I have a bad feeling about this though… This isn't her style at all. I can't help but think she's up to some new twisted plan again."

Rika then steps in. "Look, I don't know anything about this person or anything, but can you guys do this somewhere else? Now, I had a great time working with you Joseph, but I'd really like to get back to my work soon. "

I agree. "Right. Let's get out of here Seiga."

Seiga nods. She then, if somewhat reluctantly, turns to Rika and hands her a packet of paper money.

"Here. Take it." She says with disgust.

Rika takes her pay and quickly flips through it to confirm it is the right amount.

"Thanks. Be sure to come by if you need any more work done Joseph. I'll be happy to help." Rika says with a little smile.

"Not for free of course…" Seiga sarcastically replies.

"A deal is a deal." Rika states.

I sigh. "Sorry Seiga, but if I do need her help again…"

"Don't worry." She replies. "I have plenty to spare. Just don't get carried away with it."

She then turns to the door. "Come on then. We need to get going."

I agree and wave goodbye to Rika. "Thanks for everything."

"Bye. Come back later." Rika says with a casual wave.

With that, Seiga leads me and Yoshika out the door and onto the lift. In a minute, we are back in Gensokyo's outdoors. The sky is clear today, and the sun is high in the sky.

_Plenty of time. _I think to myself.

"Come along you two!" Seiga calls back from far ahead.

Just as before, I follow behind Yoshika, who follows behind Seiga in turn. The three of us make a quiet trek towards the Mansion.

Yoshika is contempt with just following her master and says nothing. Seiga is unusually quiet too, holding an air of grim determination. She clearly wants to find the Nightcaster and get her revenge. For someone who is usually cocky and joking, she is quite intimidating when serious.

I on the other hand, am silent as I bury myself in nervous thought. I can't help but wonder what kind of power she has obtained to give her the strength to singlehandedly overthrow an entire mansion.

_I hope I'm ready for her. She's been getting stronger with all kinds of new magic I bet, and all I have now is a little seeing spell and a crossbow._

_Nothing I can do about it though…_

I shake off my nervous thoughts and continue on ahead along with Yoshika and Seiga. We travel back to the road and towards the lake. Once again, Misty Lake is covered in mist, and appears impossible to navigate.

But Seiga seems to know the way. Without so much as a second thought, she walks right into the fog and guides us towards the mansion. Although I probably could have figured it out after that mistake with the Prismriver girls.

Soon enough, we arrive at the front of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Or what's left of the front.

I only saw the mansion from a distance the evening I left the haunted mansion across the lake. Even so, I can immediately tell the mansion is in serious disrepair. The front gate has been wrenched open, and is a mess of bent and fallen steel. The outer walls here are covered in burn marks and are missing a few chunks here and there.

_How on earth did she do this?_

As we walk towards the front, I spot two people. One is woman dressed in a frilly blue dress with a white apron and frilled headdress atop silver hair. She is standing in place of the open gate, guarding it against a second person.

The other is a taller young woman with brown hair tied into pigtails, and is wearing a tiny purple hat, a pink dress shirt, and a purple and black skirt. Behind her back are a pair of folded bird wings, and the toothed sandals she wears seem to require an inhuman sense of balance. She's clearly a youkai of some kind.

As the three of us approach the two at the gate, I can hear the end of an argument.

The white-haired woman speaks with a calm tone. "I'm sorry Miss Himekaidou, but the mistress has requested you leave the premises until this issue is resolved. We would like to get the repairs done _without _having to deal with your reporting."

The winged girl groans in frustration. "Ugh, come on! This is good stuff here! Grade A newsworthy! You won't even let a little tengu ask the fairies some questions?"

_Tengu? That must be the type of youkai she is._

The guardian girl shakes her head no. "Absolutely not. The mistress has asked you to leave, and if you do not do so then I will be forced to make you leave. This is your last warning Miss Himekaidou. We appreciate your interest, but not at this time. Leave now."

The tengu growls in anger and throws her hands up in the air in defeat. "Gah! Fine. Have it your way. I'll come back later, but when I do come back I want some interviews, you hear me?"

With that, the girl's wings unfold to an impressive full length, and she begins to flap them. With each powerful beat, she rises higher and higher, and she soon accelerates away and vanishes into the mist.

_Huh… I guess that didn't go well._

The woman at the gate rubs her forehead. "I swear she is becoming more and more like Miss Shameimaru every day. She was much more pleasant when she stuck to her thoughtography."

As she looks back up, she notices the three of us standing off to the side.

"More visitors?" She asks to herself.

_Alright, now's the time to introduce myself. It looks like I'll need to convince her to let me in._

I slowly approach the silver haired woman and introduce myself. "Hello there. My name is Joseph Mateba. I heard there was an attack here?"

The woman bows politely to the three of us. "Greetings sir. I am Sakuya Izayoi, head maid of the mansion here. While you are correct on the attack, it is for this reason that no one is allowed on the premises at this time. If you have nothing to do, please depart."

"Actually… I wanted to ask you some questions." I reply.

"I cannot allow you to come in." She asserts.

Seiga chimes in with another snide comment. "He said you, you stuck up maid. You can answer a few questions can't you?"

"I am in no position to answer questions. You're association with Miss Kaku also makes me wary of your intentions." She says with a sideways glance.

_Keep going… _I urge myself

"You saw them, didn't you?" I ask her directly. "The attackers? Undead, weren't they? Strange, mindless creatures that didn't seem like they were from this world?"

"Y-yes… I faced them when they came in. They were like you said. Mindless undead servants of some kind" Sakuya hesitantly replies. "How did you-"

"It's complicated." I interrupt. "You can say I'm an expert on this subject. I know who did this, and I may be able to help you. But I need more information first."

Sakuya doesn't know how to reply at first. After a few minutes of silent contemplation she replies.

"I… I cannot make this kind of decision, especially when it goes against the Mistress' wishes. Yet, I cannot doubt you seem to know something about this, and I do not wish to turn away an offer of assistance at a time like this. I feel that this matter may be best left to the Mistress herself. If you wish, I will take you to her and you may discuss your intentions with her personally." She says.

_Urk! Not good! I was pretty sure I was told Remilia hated humans. Talking to her would definitely not end well for me._

I look down. _But I have no choice. I have to find some way to convince. She's just been attacked in her home; maybe she'll be more receptive._

I agree to her terms. "Fine. I'll take that."

"Very well." Sakuya says. "You may come in to see the Mistress, but not those two. I still do not trust you Miss Kaku."

Seiga huffs. "Fine… I wasn't really looking forward to this place anyways."

_Ah? _"Are you sure about this Seiga?"

"You'll be fine." She says with a grin. "You aren't scared, are you?"

I am a little nervous. Having another youkai with me would have made this much less nerve racking, but it looks like I'll have to do without her.

I shake my head. "No… I'll be fine. Thanks anyways Seiga. Staying out here then?"

She nods yes. "Sure, I'll wait for you. Nothing else to do anyways. Just hurry up in there."

"Very well. This way, please." Sakuya says as she turns towards the mansion.

_Here we go…_

I leave Seiga and Yoshika behind, and Sakuya begins leading me through the busted gate and towards the mansion. As we step through the gate and up the steps leading up the short hill that the Mansion sits on, the fog begins to lessen and I can see the Mansion more clearly. Damage from the attack is widespread, and the building's front face and roof are battered and crumbling. The large clock tower on top is shattered completely, and a small tower on the rightmost wing of the mansion has been completely leveled and has fallen on the mansion itself.

When I first caught glimpse of the mansion, it looked like a sophisticated castle-like estate, but now it is just a crumbling ruin.

_Ugh… It's worse than I thought. Why would the Nightcaster do this?_

As we step through the remains of the front door and into the mansion itself, I immediately see fairy maids, small girls similar to the ones in the forest, busying themselves with cleaning and repairs. The fairies are preoccupied in sweeping away the fragments of shattered marble and crumbling decorations.

This hallway looked to be crimson once, but it is now dust covered and battle weary. Along the walls, I recognize the work of the Nightcaster's minions. I can distinguish claw marks and blade marks belonging to members of the Flawed and the Arrogant. This place was once elegant, but it's just a mess now.

_She was definitely here. Yet what would promote such a mindless attack? _I ask myself again.

Sakuya continues to lead us down the halls, paying no mind to the busy fairies. We continue to travel through the mansion as we make our way towards Remilia. These decorated halls seem to go on and on, making the mansion out to be quite large.

Soon, we reach a large elegant door, one of the few still in good condition, and Sakuya stops and turns to me.

"I will introduce you, but I make no promises to the outcome. The Mistress is a vampire, and is not fond of humans. Be on your best behavior and show the upmost respect at all times." She warns.

I silently nod, and Sakuya slowly pushes open the door.

We both step into an elegant dining room. A fine round wood table seats a young girl who is dressed in an expensive pink dress. Her blue hair is topped with a pink hat that matches her dress. Despite her young age, she has a regal air, and the faint red gleam from her eyes and the large black bat wings on her shoulders makes her much more intimidating than a young girl should be.

_So this is Remilia. A bit younger than I thought… Keep yourself together Joseph. Don't say anything that will make her angry now._

Sakuya steps towards the Remilia, who is busying herself with looking out a window and drinking some dark tea. She stops a short distance away from her and makes a polite bow.

"Mistress…" Sakuya begins.

"Sakuya…" She replies back. "I know you too well. The way you slowly opened the door. Your shuffling footsteps. Your cautious greeting. This isn't like you at all Sakuya. I know you too well… You're about to say something that's going to disappoint me, aren't you?"

Sakuya remains silent.

"Who is it?" She asks after another sip of tea.

Sakuya hesitates for a moment before replying. "He claims to be a-"

"Send him out." She interrupts. "Now."

_What? I haven't even said anything!_

Sakuya hesitates again before bowing again. "Very well. My apologies Mistress."

Sakuya turns towards me and gently pushes me back out the door.

_No… No way. I'm not taking that! I didn't even get to justify myself! I won't get pushed aside like that!_

To Sakuya's surprise, I push past her and force my way towards Remilia.

"I know who did this and I can help!" I assert. "Listen to me, please!"

Remilia calmly takes another sip before looking towards me. The demonic red glare in her eyes sends and unnatural thrill of fear down my spine.

"And what makes you think I care?" She quietly replies. "It is just like you humans to always think you know what is right and what isn't. You always think yourselves the masters, when you fail to realize how small you really are… I admire your tenacity, so I'll let this outburst of yours slide. But I would strongly suggest you leave my sight. Now."

Sakuya places a hand on my shoulder and whispers to me. "For your own sake…"

I shrug her off and step towards Remilia again. "You can't beat her alone. You don't know what she is really capable of. If you want to do anything about this, if you want to ensure this never happens again, you are going to need my help."

Remilia is silent for a second. She then turns and takes another sip of her tea before saying anything else.

"Sakuya?" She says.

"Y-yes?" Sakuya nervously replies.

"Leave us."

Sakuya bows and quickly steps out, clearly afraid of whatever outcome I may have just invoked.

I know I may have lost some points with that move, but it got her attention. If I can convince her, then maybe I can get her to help me and learn more about this attack.

Remilia sets her tea aside and stands up to face me.

She glares at me and speaks with a slow, poisonous anger. "You are certainly a stubborn human. You're the kind of human I hate the most. The one who fights with his last breath, even when death was decided from the beginning. The one who will do anything for some small mundane cause, just because it is 'the right thing'. The one who thinks he knows right from wrong no matter what. You disgust me, and I should kill you for your insolence."

But then, she changes her stance. "Yet, I will admit your words pique my curiosity. I, Remilia Scarlet, will give you a chance to justify yourself to me. If you fail to impress me then I will kill you right here on the spot. Now, you refer to this attacker as a she. Tell me, just who is this person you speak of?"

"Charity Carpathia." I explain. "She calls herself the Nightcaster. A magician. I won't explain all of our story, but I'm after her, and I need to find her. Gensokyo is making her stronger, and I need to put a stop to her before she gets out of control. This attack is unlike anything she's ever done before, but if she can do this now than it's only a matter of time before nothing can stop her anymore. Remilia, you may not like me, but you are going to need my help as much as I'm going to need yours."

Remilia scoffs at me. "Again, your human arrogance shows itself. Tell me, what makes you think I cannot handle this myself? It was _my _home that was attacked, _my _honor that was ruined, _my _people that were lost. I should be the one to take revenge. I am more than capable of dealing with some self-proclaimed magician on my own. Why should I even listen to the likes of you?"

"I've been pursuing her for years Remilia." I reply, somewhat angered. "If I could just 'find her' I would have. She's tricky, and powerful. Now that she's come to Gensokyo, I'm at a huge disadvantage against her. She knows more about this world than I do, and I am having trouble keeping up with her. But if we work together…"

She disagrees right away. "No. As you said, you have been at this for two years. I see that as two years of failure. If you lack the ability to defeat her, then you are useless to me. "

I feel a surge of anger. I will not stand to be called a failure.

_Fine then, if that's how you want to play this._

"What about yourself? Huh?" I harshly reply. "You lost your mansion; your own home! There wasn't a thing you could have done about it either. If you couldn't stop her this time, then you won't be able to stop her later when she'll probably be even stronger."

She scoffs at me. "Insolence! You dare question my power?"

"I'm not questioning anything." I shoot back. "I know for a fact you won't stand a chance against her alone! You don't know her like I do. You don't know her moves like me. If you try to go after her alone you're going to be chasing smoke just like I am. I need you, and you need me."

She growls in frustration. "You dare to… I killed these creatures of hers by the swarms last night. Her armies were nothing before my wrath, and she will soon follow in suit. And I have Sakuya, and Patchouli, and Meiling to-"

"You mean you used to have Meiling." I interrupt as I remember that side note in the paper.

Remilia chokes up. "Guh!"

"How many more of your friends do you want to sacrifice for this? Are they just pawns to you?" I say as I try to push her weak spot.

Remilia turns away from me. "Don't… Don't question me human."

"Do you think she's stupid?" I press again. "She lays traps. She breaks people down. She tears things apart until there's nothing but bare bones left, and then she has her way with the rest. You may be able to defend yourself now, but you what happens when you're alone and there's nothing left?"

Remilia sighs. She is unable to respond.

"I know her and her minions better than anyone else in Gensokyo right now. She's strong, and she's smart. You may not like me, and you may not want to admit it, but you won't be able to fight her without my help. Now, do you want to do something about this before another tragedy strikes, or are you going to keep being stubborn until you lose everyone you have?"

Still silent.

I see it as a small silent confirmation. _I think she understands me a little better now. Now I just need to turn her around._

"Remilia, I-"

But as soon as I open my mouth, someone bursts through the door. A small fairy practically smashes the door open and zips into the room.

"Mistress!" She quickly says with a bow. She looks terrified; both short of breath and crying.

Remilia is surprised at first, but she soon shifts to anger at the impolite intrusion.

"What are you doing here? You had best have a good reason for barging in so rudely!" She demands.

"The enemy!" The fairy hastily replies. "They're still here!"

_What?_

Remilia steps back in shock. "What? Where? Tell me, now!"

"Stragglers in the east wing…" The fairy tries to explain through her sobbing. "We were-hic-cleaning out the east wing… digging through the rubble like we were told… b-but once we-hic-got to the tower t-they-hic-just started coming out from the rooms and the rubble. They were waiting for us! The other fairies there… they didn't… they didn't…"

The fairy can't go on, and collapses in a fit of sobbing and trembling.

_East? That must be where that tower fell over. I doubt they were hiding then. It's more like they got left behind when the tower fell on them, and the survivors are attacking now that they're free._

Remilia sighs. "Stragglers is it? I thought we were done with them…"

Remilia then whirls around to me. At first, she looks like she's going to shout at me, but she stops and recomposes herself before saying anything.

"Joseph… I see you are quite determined to deal with this supposed Nightcaster of yours, and I will admit you have made some good points just now…" She begins as she moves back to her tea. "But, before I will accept your offer to join forces, I will need to determine if you are as skilled as you say you are. Prove yourself to me by finding and defeating this detached force and eliminate the rest of this scourge from my mansion. Succeed, and I will reconsider your offer. Fail, and no one will ever find your corpse."

She takes a seat and a sip of tea before finishing. "So, will you accept?"

_I really wasn't looking forward to a fight._ I think_. But if that's what it takes then I'll do it. I won't let these undead monsters of hers have their way._

I agree to the grim proposal. "Deal. If you want proof, I'll give you proof."

Remilia points to the door. "Then go. Take this fairy with you and have her guide you to the spot of the attack. Don't fail me Joseph. I'm not going to give you any second chances."

Without another word, I turn around and make my way back out of the room. The fairy has calmed down a bit now, and manages to pick herself up off the ground and follows me out.

_Well… that sort of went well. _I think to myself. _Remilia's one arrogant vampire. Yet under that pride… she means well. She's just biased against me, and I can't blame her for that. She was stubborn, but I think she understands now. She understands just what we're up against, and she knows I'm right about needing to work together. She's just too proud to admit it._

_Hopefully, this will fully earn her trust._

The fairy is still shivering a bit. "I-I have to go back there, don't I?"

_Hm…_

I do my best to try and reassure her. "Don't worry. I've dealt with these guys before. I can hold my own. You just guide me there. I'll protect you if things get bad. Ok?"

The small girl nods and wipes away her tears.

"O-ok!" The fairy says as she takes the lead. "It's this way!"

The fairy leads the way for me, guiding me back into the mansion and towards the source of the problem. I keep my eyes and ears open for any warning sounds that the Nightcaster's minions might make.

I continue to follow the fairy towards the east wing. After a few more minutes of running through the mansion, we hear a loud shriek that freezes both of us.

Up ahead, down this hall, a pair of fairies flees towards us.

"Run away!" One shouts.

"Enemies! Mistress, help!" The other cries.

The fairy next to me starts to tremble again. "Oh no! They've already come this far? This isn't good!"

_Damn. They're trying to spread out. I need to start killing them before they get too spread out and start causing damage._

Up ahead, I see a humanoid shadow drifting in the light around the corner.

I draw my new crossbow and pull turn the crank on the side. Each rotation makes a loud grinding noise as the gears pull back the heavy-duty bow string. After three rotations the bow is ready. I place a sharp broad headed bolt on it and raise the crossbow to aiming stance as I proceed down the hall and towards the shadow of the minion ahead.

"Get behind me." I say to the fairy. She promptly does so.

At my voice, the monster ahead moans in warning from around the corner on this hall.

I've managed to get into the mansion, but in order to learn more about my enemy's actions, I will need to prove myself and defeat these minions of the Nightcaster. I had hoped I would not find any fights here, but if it's against her then I'm more than willing to put up with it. I'll defeat these monsters and anything else that gets in my way.

_Come on you bastard… come at me. I'm ready for you this time!_

The monster beings to step around the corner and into the open as we get close. I set my aim towards it and prepare to fire.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter. I had a lot of fun with this one.

And so we introduce Remilia. She always seems to me to be the arrogant type, so I just stuck with that and gave her the arrogant noble type role. Given that Joseph is a human and a hunter, she really doesn't take to him at first. Whether she is just going with an 'enemy of my enemy' type relationship with Joseph, or if she truly understands his will to put a stop to this chaos is yet to be determined, and I will elaborate on her a little bit more when I get to her again.

And just on a side note, I wanted to try and mention Hatate and the Kakashi news instead of Aya and the Bunbunmaru news just to try and be different. I think sometimes people overlook Hatate in fan fics (or maybe not) so I just wanted to try and this character a mention along with Aya, and I may do this again later if I see fit to do so.

Anyways...

Thanks again for reading. I'll have the next chapter ready soon.


	17. Chapter 17

**Oh, the misery. Oh, the misery. Not even the radiance of this kind soul will save you from the threat you face now.  
**

* * *

The monster around the corner of this hall makes a low lifeless moan as it steps into the open. The dim reddish light of the hall shines down on its metallic features as it stands before me and the little fairy behind me; revealing itself to be an Arrogant one.

The fairy shivers at the undead visage. "W-what are these things? I've never seen anything like this."

"The Arrogant…" I reply. "An undead warrior."

The Arrogant, much like the Flawed, are one of the Nightcaster's lesser undead minions; a foul creature produced by the darkness and death of her shadow realm and summoned by her when she needs them. The humanoid creature before me looks much like a walking corpse; emaciated and skeletal from the waist down. Its upper body is hidden under a shell though. A great helmet hides its face, and a heavy cuirass guards the torso.

In its right hand is a thin, straight-edged long sword, rusty and old like the rest of its armor. The weapon and armor gives it the look of some ancient warrior, and I know first-hand that it is just as dangerous as one.

But I will not back down from this thing of hers.

Without wasting a moment, I pull the trigger on my crossbow. With a loud snap, the crossbow fires a bladed bolt into the Arrogant one with an incredible velocity. The chest armor on it gives under the power of the bolt, and the bolt sinks right into its chest.

_Die…_

The Arrogant one staggers backwards and falls to one knee. It struggles against the wound for a moment, but soon succumbs to the injury and dies. A rush of flames, and all that remains is ashes. A one shot kill.

_Good to know this crossbow works like it should._

The fairy next to me sighs. "Phew… those things are so creepy."

_But there's more though. The fairy said it was a whole attack. I have to keep moving._

"Come, we need to keep going." I say. "Which way is it to the east wing from here?"

"Oh, right, this way!"

The fairy zooms ahead and I run after her. We turn the corner the monster came from and traverse another hallway before hearing another noise.

We turn into the next hall and, to our surprise, we find another fairy maid who got left behind. She is fighting against a small group of minions alone. Four Arrogant ones I count.

_Ugh! So many already. How many did she bring in here? _I nervously think as I observe the group.

The fairy maid is frantically shooting off magic shots at the four to try and stop them. The magic viciously cracks and splinters their armor, but they are all still standing, running at her with swords prepared to strike. Their rotted frames may hint at slowness, but they are actually extremely lightweight, and can surprise the careless with their impressive dexterity. She will be overrun soon, yet she is not backing down.

The fairy cries out in shock. "Ah! Another fairy! They're going to get her; we've got to help!"

_Already on it…_

While the fairy ahead of us fends off the incoming Arrogant, I finish reloading the crossbow and am already lining up a shot. Using the scope on the crossbow, I easily line up the crosshair over one an Arrogant one's head and fire. The powerful bolt kills the monster instantly as it splits the helm and skull, and it is mere ash before it even hits the ground.

_Chew on that!_

The fairy ahead does not even look back at me. She just continues to direct her attacks against the three.

"Come on, hurry up! Keep shooting!" My guide pleas as I crank back the crossbow string.

I load another broad head bolt and take aim. The fairy ahead manages to bring one of the Arrogant to its knees with an aimed blast, and I finish it off for her with a shot to the chest.

Yet at that moment, failing to realize the potential reach of the Arrogant one nearest to her, the fairy is suddenly brought down to the ground by a quick advance step followed by a back-hand smack.

_Crap. They're going to get her!_

The Arrogant one who knocked her down immediately runs over and places a skeletal foot on her throat to stop her from getting away. It twirls the sword backwards in its hand, and prepares to impale her on the ground.

"Oh no!" The fairy cries.

"Grrrr… Take this!" I roar as I set down my crossbow and draw out my magic stone.

I aim the blue crystal at the Arrogant one and hit it with an impact that knocks it over on to its back; freeing the fairy. The second one, the one furthest away, runs towards the fairy to grab her before she can recover, but the downed fairy fires a beam as it gets too close and pushes it back.

_There, saved her. Now to finish them off._

I hurry and reload my crossbow once more, and fire a third bolt at the Arrogant one the fairy just hit. Once again, the powerful bolt spells instant death as I achieve another headshot.

The fairy manages to get back up and flies back into the air.

"Hiyaaa!" With a shout, she directs all her magic to the collapsed Arrogant. Still struggling to recover from my blast, it cannot evade the attack. The blasts utterly crush the withered body, and it soon joins its fellows in death.

The hallway is clear again.

_That's another down. And I managed to save a fairy too. I wonder if anyone else is down here._

The fairy guiding me rushes towards her friend, and I follow behind her. When we reach each other, the fairy maid with me tackles the other and holds her in a fierce hug.

"Daiyousei! You're ok!" She exclaims.

"Yes… I'm fine. With all these attacks and all these demands though, I don't think I'm cut out to be maid here." She sighs. This fairy looks pretty beaten up. She must have been having a hard time with them.

In fact, she doesn't look like an ordinary fairy at all. I realize that the fairy with me is much, much smaller than Daiyousei, who could easily pass off as a young woman. She has green hair tied in a sideways ponytail, and her maid outfit is light blue and white like Sakuya's. Her fairy wings are transparent and trimmed with glittering gold.

_She certainly stands out. She must be some kind of higher class of fairy. _I think.

Daiyousei looks towards me as she breaks away from her friend's hug. "Who are you?"

"Joseph. I'm here to exterminate these creatures." I explain. "I assume you're a worker here?"

The little fairy nods. "Uh-huh! This is Daiyousei. She's a fairy from the lake that started working here just a few days ago. She's so cool! She's so tall, and smart, and _super _strong. She's stronger than Cirno I bet!"

Daiyousei laughs weakly. "Hehe…he… I don't think I'm quite as strong as Cirno yet."

"No way! Daiyousei is the best!" The fairy asserts.

Daiyousei blushes a little.

_Ha. These two are kind of cute… _I think as I watch them talk.

But my amusement is cut short by the familiar chill of my Slayer's sense. An old feeling I haven't felt in a while comes back to me as strong as ever to warn me of death. Immediately after that, a wicked cacophony of moans and hissing emerges from the other end of this hall where we came from earlier.

I look down the ruined hall to see a group of six Flawed, followed by an armored Arrogant one and a robed Veiled one. It's a mixed swarm of them.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. A Veiled one too?" I growl.

"Oh no! There's so many!" The fairy says as she jumps behind Daiyousei.

"Guh… I don't think I can take too much more of these things. Just who in their right mind would do this?" Daiyousei mutters.

I look over to her. "Can you still fight?"

She nods. "I think so."

"Then stay near me, we'll clear them out together. Two is better than one." I say.

She agrees. "Right. together then. Watch that robed thing though, it's fast, and it can throw knives. I saw it take out a ton of fairies earlier."

"I know that." I reply. "Now get ready, here they come."

I place a bolt on my crossbow and aim it the approaching Arrogant one. The bolt stabs it right in the chest; an easy kill.

Daiyousei follows up with a focused attack of her own; sending a scattershot of magic bolts at the Veiled one. Of course, it sees this coming and uses its power of sudden movement to sidestep it before it even gets close to being hit.

The Veiled one then responds with its own attack. With a quick movement of its hands, it hurls a blade towards Daiyousei.

"Look out!" The little fairy cries.

"Huh?" Daiyousei fails to see the blade though, as the dim light of the mansion does not reflect off the flying razor. She does not dodge.

So, the little fairy pushes her aside.

Daiyousei staggers sideways. The flying razor then proceeds to stab the defenseless smaller fairy. It's a fatal sacrifice.

_Aw… damn it._ I quietly think as the fairy sways backwards.

"What? Why did you do that?" Daiyousei quickly asks as she catches her from falling.

"It's ok." She weakly replies. "Fairies… don't die permanently anyways, so it's ok. Daiyousei is the best after all… the… best…"

The fairy then quietly dissolves into red dust matching her former maid uniform. It's just me and Daiyousei now.

She'll come back she says, but I can tell that really crushed Daiyousei seeing that. As the remaining dust falls through her fingers, she clenches her hands into a tight fist.

"Oooh! I've HAD IT with these things!" She screams. "I'll show you what happens if you underestimate fairies! Take THIS!"

She extends both hands and fires magic bullets in rapid fire. She sweeps her aim across the hallway, firing at the swarm of approaching Flawed. Her shots are surprisingly powerful this time, and her rapid fire rips apart every single one of them before I even have to shoot.

_Whoa, she is definitely mad now. She just ripped those guys apart like nothing._

It's just us and the Veiled one now. Daiyousei is spraying bullets at it, but it just keeps instantly zipping back and forth; avoiding all attacks.

_This isn't going to work. I can't get a hit like this. We need to pin him._

"Daiyousei, stop! You can't hit that one like this. Let it get a little closer. We need to use a trap to beat it.

She doesn't stop. "Oh, I'll show you a trap! Here's one Cirno taught me! Hiyaaa!"

"Daiyousei! Listen to me, please!" I say to her as she flies higher into the air to get a better angle. She's not cooperating at all.

She extends her arms sideways and resumes firing. Orbs shoot out from her palms and drift to her side a bit before flying straight at the Veiled one.

Or so I think.

The orbs miss. Instead, they fly just to the sides of it. She's creating two currents of attack orbs at either side of her. Ultimately, this move would never hit anything directly in front of her, but it makes the perfect cage. The Veiled one frantically looks around as heavy fire pins it on either side.

_Wait, this is perfect! I got you now!_

I quickly pull back my crossbow and load, not a normal shot, but an incendiary shot. This bolt is not pointed at all, but instead is smooth and fat. It carries an explosive charge that will spew burning chemicals all over the target.

And those robes and shrouds look awfully dry to me.

I pull the trigger and successfully land the incendiary bolt on the Veiled one; just barely nicking a bit of flapping cloth on its shoulder. The bolt detonates into a fireball, and in mere seconds the monster is a column of flames.

The Veiled one staggers about in misery as it burns to death. Daiyousei redirects her attacks back onto it, and pummels it with rapid fire. I lower my crossbow and draw my pistol into one hand and assist with some of my own bullets.

Between the burning, the magic attacks, and my shooting, the powerful Veiled one is soon overcome and fully burns away to ash.

Once again, this hallway is clear.

I sigh and proceed to reload my pistol and ready my crossbow again for the next fight.

Daiyousei takes a few deep breaths to calm herself down before saying anything.

"S-sorry. I probably could have killed us there. I should have listened to you. " Daiyousei mutters, eyes downcast.

I shake my head and try to reassure her a little. "No. You did fine. It's hard to keep your composure when facing such unnatural things. Don't worry. Tell me, are you injured?"

One of her wings twitches. "Umm… yeah. One of those sword guys got me in the back a little while ago."

"Here, let me see." I say. "I have bandages. Maybe I can fix it."

She turns her back to me to show me a narrow, dirty cut under her left wing.

I don't know how well a bandage can heal a mystical being, but I try it anyways. I take a length of bandage and gently apply it over her cut.

"Ow! That stings!" She cries when the medicine begins to kick in.

_Seems to be working… _

I step away from her. "There. That should be healed in a few minutes. Anything else?"

She turns back to me and shakes her head. "No. Just scrapes and bruises. I'm fine."

"Good. Then, if you're alright, can you show me to where the tower fell?" I ask. "I need help navigating this place, and I could certainly use another fighter given how many of these things are still here."

She agrees with a slight smile. "Definitely sounds like a good idea. I can show you the way, and we'll clean this place out together. These things don't belong in Gensokyo, and if I can help stop them then I will."

_Good to have someone, even this fairy, who is so willing to stop something that is so obviously not right. I was beginning to think I was alone in this… heh…_

"Good." I say with a small smile. "Lead the way then."

Daiyousei takes the lead. "This way. It's not too much farther."

And so, me and this fairy begin to fight our way through the ruined east wing of the Scarlet Devil mansion. One hall after another, encountering more minions along the way. Thankfully, the fighting is light the rest of the way though. Me and Daiyousei effortlessly clean up the stragglers of last night's attack. My bullets along with her magic make quick work of the lone undead still roaming the halls.

In what feels like only an hour, we finally reach the location where the stragglers were first seen. A dining room.

An elaborate polished stone arch leads into this huge dining room, but the rest of the room is a dirty mess right now. A large chunk of rock has fallen right in the middle of the room, crushing the wood table beneath it. A short pile of smaller rock debris sits near a corner, and decorative pillars stand around the edges of the room, all made of fine marble. I can tell a lot of work has been done here, as it is a lot less messy than it should be. Other than that though, this room is a dead end.

Technically a dead end, anyways.

At the far end of the room is a gaping hole that stretches all the way to the roof. Jutting out from the hole is the top of the tower that fell. A sideways doorway next to a broken sideways balcony allows access to the tower.

_They must have come from within the tower. The fairies must have been trying to move it when they stirred them._

"Well…" I begin. "The only thing left to do is go into the tower itself and make sure there isn't anything left."

Daiyousei, who is floating next to me, is silent.

_Hm? _"Everything ok there?"

"Shh." She replies.

_Huh?_

I remain silent and listen for a moment. Slowly, I begin to hear a dull thumping noise.

"Do you hear that?" Daiyousei asks.

_Hm…_

I continue to listen silently, as I can tell the noise is getting closer.

_Footsteps? Definitely more than one person. Boots I think. And is that jingling? It sounds like…_

I get another warning chill from my Slayer's sense as the presence draws close.

_Oh…_

_Not good._

"Daiyousei, get ready. Something bad is coming. Really bad." I warn.

Both me and Daiyousei prepare to fight the incoming attackers. I reload a bolt on my crossbow and Daiyousei takes aim with her magic at the sideways door.

Then, they emerge. One, two, three of them.

Each one is the same in appearance. They are slightly heavyset humanoids wearing a bulky buttoned up black overcoat and black trousers, and burden themselves with bandoliers and satchels. They wear a gas mask and goggles over their face, a narrow brimmed helmet, leather gloves, and sturdy marching boots. There is no life within their tinted goggles, and the only vaguely human sound is the strained breathing coming from the masks. They're appearance is completely concealed by all the heavy gear they wear.

Or rather, their heavy gear is who they are, as they are nothing but magic beneath the black army uniforms they wear. Looking and acting exactly like soliders from my home world, these powerful summoned creatures are one of the Nightcaster's latest achievements. The equipment they use, while only magical projections, are still very effective and quite dangerous. Each wields a gas-powered machinegun that is extremely effective across all ranges.

I remember the Nightcaster's taunting voice as she called their names in command once. They are the Miserable. Summoned undead soldiers that look like real ones from my own world. They seem out of place with all their guns and gear in this fantasy world, but command an intimidating presence nonetheless.

_Oh, this is not good!_

As if to confirm my bad feelings to be correct. The three of them, all at once with guns loaded, take aim at us.

"Daiyousei RUN!" I shout as I make a mad dash to the fallen rock in the middle of the room for cover. Daiyousei breaks the other way and heads for one of the marble pillars to hide.

As soon as we both reach cover, they open fire. The thunder of their guns echoes throughout the mansion. Bullets pelt my cover and chip away at the rock I hide behind. The gunfire continues for several seconds as they deplete their magazines.

_Geez! This is insane!_

Then, it stops. They run out, and the sound of three simultaneous clicks confirms they are reloading.

_Now!_

I spin around and shoot my crossbow at one of them while reloading. The bolt sinks into its side, causing the Miserable one to recoil backwards. Yet one shot is certainly not going to kill it. It quickly recovers, and roughly yanks the bolt out.

Rather than blindly resume reloading though, it lowers its rifle to one hand and draws a revolver sidearm. A few shots force me back into cover while its comrades reload their own guns.

"Damn it. I hate getting shot at." I mutter as I replace my crossbow and draw my pistol out. It may be weaker, but I'm going to need something that will let me duck through shots better than this slow crossbow.

Across the room, Daiyousei quickly takes off from one column to another in an attempt to fire some magic. Her magic only lightly injures the Miserable ones though, and the return gunfire from it lands dangerously close to her. Thankfully, she takes cover before she is gunned down.

But that assurance doesn't last long, as two of the three turn their guns to the pillar Daiyousei is at. They pour bullets onto it, threatening to cut through the shaky marble structure.

_If I don't do something they're going to shoot through Daiyousei's cover!_

I step out to try and distract them, but am immediately met with a short burst of fire from the third one. I step back behind the rock before I am hit, cursing my careless action.

I brace myself for my next move. _Alright you monster, let's do this!_

I peer halfway around the corner and pump a few shots into the Miserable one trying to pin me down. The bullets hurt it, but it is also very tough. Without even flinching, it fires a burst of return gunfire to chase me off.

Again, I peer out and shoot it, and it tries to fire back at me. I narrowly avoid a bullet aimed for my head as I dive back behind the standing rock this time.

Daiyousei is still in trouble though. This isn't getting me anywhere.

"Joseph! I need help! I… I don't know what to do!" Daiyousei shouts from across the room.

_Alright. No more messing around. _I think as I load a magazine of silver bullets into my pistol. _Try these you demon!_

Silver, a soft metal with the natural ability to repulse evil, usually isn't used in bullets, but with Rika at my side we made this specialty silver-coated hard point rounds for my gun. The blessing power of silver alone is weak, but when formed into a weapon its power multiplies. These creatures will surely feel these shots.

Using the same cover tactic, I peer around the corner of the rock and fire the silver into the Miserable one facing me. The gun almost makes a light whistling noise as the shots leave the barrel.

Each shot causes it to reel in agony. The power of the silver bullets carry an unnatural weight against the Miserable one, causing it to actually skid backwards along the ground as it is pushed away by the holy impacts.

As I fire the last shot, the Miserable one collapses to one knee in pain. It's badly injured, and the blessing power of the silver has momentarily rendered it powerless. The silver is much more effective as a bullet than I thought.

The two other Miserable ones quickly stop what they're doing and run over to their fellow. One of them kneels over and tries to pick the injured one up on its shoulder, while the other takes aim at me and pushes me back into cover with a burst of gunfire.

_There, that stopped them from attacking Daiyousei. Now, I need to get her over here to a safer place._

"Daiyousei!" I call. "Over here, quick!"

"Coming!" She calls back.

Daiyousei breaks out from behind the crumbling pillar and flies high across the room. As she soars towards me, she bombards the group of enemies with magic. I step out from cover and assist with my own attacks.

Surprisingly, the two huddle closer to their stunned ally to prevent us from killing it. A show of teamwork is rare amongst lone groups of these minions.

As I slide back behind the rock, I see a strange and alarming sight. One of the Miserable ones takes a large medical syringe from its kit and jams it into the other. The syringe cackles with dark energy as it churns out some foul substance into the body of the undead creature.

The substance in the syringe energizes and heals the Miserable one, completely undoing all the damage I just caused. It looks as good as new.

_Ah! Crap! They can heal each other! Ah, I forgot about that! That's not good._

"What's the plan?" Daiyousei asks from behind me.

I glance around as I try to think of a good spot to position us against their guns. I remember that small pile of stones in the corner. Daiyousei could support me from there, and I could fight up close.

_Alright… _"Daiyousei, make a break for that corner and try to use your magic to protect me from there. I'll stay here and keep fighting them. Use the rocks if you need cover, but stay near the corner. I don't want to get snuck up on."

"Y-you sure?" She nervously asks.

"Yeah. I got this. Go, quickly!" I order.

"Right."

Daiyousei zooms off. It takes her only a second to safely arrive in the corner there.

_Good. She made it._

I reload my pistol and peer around the corner. The three of them are aiming at my position. One of them is stepping off to the side to try and get around me.

I quickly swing around the corner and fire my shots while they are still turned away. They return theirs right as I step back and miss me again.

But this time, I hear something else. A clatter along the ground behind me as I retreat. I look back to see a short, fat egg shape on the ground behind me.

Grenade.

_Ahh!_

I panic and run out from behind the rock and towards where Daiyousei is; the only safe place I can reach. As soon as I do, a roaring explosion comes from the rock. A close call.

While I retreat, one of the Miserable steps out and shoots at me. A few bullets hit me in the back, sending a terrible fiery pain up into my spine. I nearly fall, but manage to keep going and throw myself from behind the rocks where Daiyousei is.

Daiyousei returns with some magical strikes to slow them while I catch my breath.

"Well… that plan failed." I grumble.

Daiyousei looks at me with worry as she helps me up. "Oh no, are you ok? Ah, you silly human. Don't push yourself or you'll die!"

_Ah, geez, this hurts! _I think to myself through the pain in back.

I finish getting up and look at the incoming enemies. Daiyousei's magic attacks and my shooting have worn them down a bit, but they are still standing tall.

"Ok, let me try this again." I say as I formulate another plan. "We can't fight them together like this. We need to keep divided. Since there isn't any other cover left other than here that we can reach, I'm going to make a run for the door and try to fight from outside the room."

She looks at me with a curious look. "You're leaving me here?"

"There was a stone arch around the door I could hide behind. If we spit up like that, we'll form an X shape with our range." I explain. "We'll be able to protect each other from them getting close."

"But… they can still shoot you know. We'll just be two targets instead of one." She argues.

"Trust me on this, please." I urge.

She sighs. "Ok…"

I stand up and get ready to run again. "Alright, here I go. One, two, three!"

I sprint out and make a break for the doorway out of this room. Immediately, gunfire tears all around me. Bullets zip dangerously close to my body, yet nothing lands.

It isn't by some miracle either. It's just plain science to me. The guns they use are gas-powered models from my world, and I know how they work.

While fancier gas-powered guns support higher bullet stopping power than any other operation type, the oil compounds that power the weapon can get extremely hot, even hotter than steam models, resulting in a sharp decrease in performance during lengthy fire fights. I can already tell that the rate of fire and accuracy of the Miserable one's weapons have decreased after they needlessly overheated their weapons while firing on the columns earlier. Escaping their aim at this range is easy now.

I run around to the door and hide behind the arch in the hall. _Made it._

_Now, to deal with these guys for good._

I switch back to my crossbow, reload it, and aim at the enemies in the room. They are trying to advance towards Daiyousei, but I will soon put a stop to that. Now loading a fine pointed armor piercing bolt, I set my crosshair on one of Miserable.

The armor piercing bolt flies faster and harder than any other bolt, and the steel tip on it effortlessly pierces the coat of the Miserable one. The bolt sinks in deep, causing a grievous wound to it.

Daiyousei continues to cast her magic at the group to repel them. I load another armor piercing bolt and fire it at the same one. It drops its gun and falls down on all fours in agony. An aimed laser from Daiyousei then finishes it off. It burns away in a magic fire, reducing their numbers to two.

The two try to fire back at us, but their guns are overheated and useless at this range. Being monsters and unable to do anything but attack, they have no choice but to keep wasting ammo.

Me and Daiyousei keep firing at them while they are in the open. They are helpless to our attacks, and soon, the second falls to one of my bolts.

The third one stands fast against our attacks for another minute or so, but slowly, it begins to fall. These things are tough, but they are not impervious. With our combined attacks, me and Daiyousei successfully bring the last of them down.

"This is for the fairies!" Daiyousei shouts as she vaporizes the Miserable one with a final volley of lasers. With her last attack, the final creature dies, and is no more.

The room, goes quiet as the last dying flames simmer down to ashes.

I slowly step into the room, walking awkwardly as pain snakes up my back. Daiyousei flutters towards me, heavily breathing from her hard effort.

"You ok?" I ask.

"I'm… seriously gonna quit after this…" Daiyousei mutters as she dusts herself off.

_If only I could just quit… ha._

I look down and sigh. "Well. I still have to-"

My low voice is suddenly cut off by a quick warning form Daiyousei.

"Joseph, look out! One of them is still moving!" She cries.

As soon as she says that a wild fist hits me aside the head, and I fall over. I fall on my back with a Miserable one on top of me. A bolt from me juts out of one of the lenses in the mask. I thought I had killed this one, but I was so busy with the fight I never noticed that the flame from its death never happened. It's only barely alive, but barely is still enough to cut me apart with the combat knife in its hands.

_Oh no you don't!_

I grab its gloved hand and struggle against the knife it is trying to bare down on me. I push and kick, but its strength is superhuman. I can't break free.

The mask looks down on me, but there is no life behind it. It's just a thing with the will to kill, and it still wants to kill me.

"Let him go! Let him go!" Daiyousei shrieks as she pulls and punches at the Miserable one. Her efforts are not slowing it.

Slowly, it begins to overpower me and bring the knife down on my throat.

Until… it suddenly stops. Without a sound, the monster goes limp. I push it off me easily, and it rolls to my side and begins to burn away. I quickly stand up and look at the fading remains of it, and fine a small silvery throwing knife with a blue handle.

"Saku-I mean… Miss Izayoi. You came!" Daiyousei says.

I turn around to find Sakuya entering the room, still in maid uniform.

_Did she do that? She must be one heck of a shot with knives to pick a man off another like that!_

I take a deep breath and thank her. "Sakuya. Thank you. You saved me there. I didn't think Remilia would let you help with this."

"Actually, the Mistress asked me to follow you to make sure you did as you said. She would be unwilling to believe you otherwise." She states.

_Oh. Well then… _"So, how am I doing so far?"

"You are done. That was the last." She informs me.

_What? _"Are you sure?"

She nods. "I have searched the premises already and took note of all remaining fiends. That was the last."

I am baffled. "But… how did you do all that so fast?"

Daiyousei chuckles slightly. "Miss Izayoi is like that. You get used to it."

Sakuya looks at the fairy maid with serious eyes. "And I heard you saying you wanted to quit. You shouldn't be walking around the halls moaning and groaning about work. It's disgraceful."

Daiyousei nervously shudders. "Er… um… w-well. I meant… um…"

Sakuya gives an agitated huff. "If you don't want to work here, then I understand. I will not force you. Being a maid is not for everybody."

Daiyousei breathes a sigh of relief and bows politely. "Thank you, Miss Izayoi. I don't think a wild fairy like me belongs in a mansion."

Sakuya smiles at Daiyousei. "And please, if you are quitting then don't have to be formal anymore. To be perfectly candid, I don't care for such royalties. I demand it only for the Mistress' tastes."

"Right. Ok then Sakuya." Daiyousei merrily replies.

"And speaking of the Mistress wishes." She says as she changes topic. "She will be quite satisfied to hear of your success. You had best come with me Joseph so we can get your wounds cleaned up and present you to her. You too Daiyousei. Since you were involved, you will need to testify to helping him too."

Daiyousei nods. "Alright. Thanks Sakuya."

"Yes. If you have medicine, then I need it. I've been shot." I say with a grimace as pain rolls up and down my back.

"We had best hurry to treat it then. Come, can you walk?" She asks.

I nod and follow Sakuya back through the halls. Daiyousei, an ally made in the heat of battle, follows by my side and even offers to let me lean on her. The injuries aren't that bad though, so I do my best to stand tall and keep up as we make our way to the mansion's infirmary.

It was a hard fight, but thanks to Rika I was able to destroy the Nightcaster's minions. The Scarlet Devil Mansion is safe from her again. Now that I have done this, Remilia will hopefully be willing to cooperate and help me find out more about this attack.

All of this, I hope, will bring me one step closer to finding the Nightcaster herself and resolving this incident.

_Charity… I'll get you eventually. I swear it! _I determine to myself.

With everything done, fairy maids are already coming back and resuming the repair of the mansion. Soon, everything will be back to normal.

And soon, I will get to the bottom of this attack. All that's left to do here now is talk to Remilia and figure this out.

* * *

A/N

Thanks for reading my next chapter. I had a blast with this one, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm really pushing it on word limit though.

This is my first time trying to introduce a character during a fight. I originally wasn't planning on doing this, but I just felt like it was a good time to introduce Daiyousei. The finer aspects of her personality (and why she was trying to be a maid) aren't revealed on this chap, but you can generally get an idea of the kind of person she is. Daiyousei, like Rika has no real personality in canon, so I have to make something up for this character to work. I think this is one of the cool things about Touhou fan fiction. These 'blank-slate' canon personalities can have a lot of different interpretations and can reasonably fill whatever roll the author wants them to while still being mostly true to touhou. In this case, my Daiyousei is more of a strong-willed and kind spirit who is willing to help someone in need; as I interpret 'greater fairy' as not only stronger, but more mentally responsible. Other fairies see her as a cool big sister, or even a mother person, and her determination in a fight can easily rally others to her side.

I tried to throw an interesting curveball enemy at Joseph by letting one of them be a little more 'modern' to Joseph. When I refer to something as an undead minion, I can really mean anything here. Undead can be any formerly living thing that emulates life. While the word 'undead' may evoke images of shambling skeletons or foul zombies, the animalistic Flawed and the soldierly Miserable can also be considered 'undead' as both were are made from once living things, and neither are actually alive. Expect to see some weird things. Of course, This is still a touhou fanfic, and I will be both generous with character fights as well as these minion battles. I really feel like fight scenes are my strong suit, and I hope you agree. This is an adventure story after all.

Thank you again for reading. I will have the next chapter ready soon.


	18. Chapter 18

**For what reason do you affiliate yourself with them? Do you truly need their help? Or are you simply afraid?**

* * *

Time passes.

After being taken to the infirmary, being treated with strange medicines, and being ushered back to Remilia, we finally are able to turn in the deed as done.

"Come, tell me. What did you see?" Remilia requests from her seat; again she is at the table with a cup of fine tea and a dainty slice of cake.

I explain my actions during the attack in detail; noting significant challenges and where I found them. Remilia says nothing; only stopping me to ask an occasional question. Daiyousei, who is with me as well, chimes in to testify and add details when she can.

Remilia also asks Daiyousei to explain what she, a maid, was doing there. Apparently, Daiyousei didn't get left behind. She stayed. She tried to fend off the incoming attackers so the other maids could escape, but was unsuccessful when a Veiled one appeared and killed them all before she could stop it. She tried to run after that, but got distracted by another fight; where I met her.

"A pity." Remilia sighs. "So much valuable staff lost to that horrible thing. I will have to request Patchouli to prepare a spell to speed the regeneration of the fairies so that they may resume work soon. This mansion will never get cleaned at this rate."

She sighs again. "And a shame you have chosen to leave us dear Daiyousei. I would have promoted you for your brave defense today. But, if you wish to frolic in the fields with that idiot friend of yours then I will not bind you here."

Daiyousei does not reply.

She turns to Sakuya, who is also in the room. "Sakuya, send a request to Patchouli to meet me in my listening room; bring Joseph there as well. Then, bring in that hermit and her… friend. If they are allied with Joseph like he claims then they will undoubtedly wish to join this conversation."

Sakuya bows and departs without a word.

"So I guess that means you've already changed your mind about me?" I ask.

"Be silent! Do not get carried away, _human_. My favor only goes so far." Remilia says with a glare.

_So I guess I really did win her over. Sort of. _I think to myself.

Minutes fly by as Sakuya begins moving everyone around. In a few moments, I find myself in a large chamber; just recently cleaned up. A large cushioned throne sits at one end of the room, and some plain dining chairs at the other.

After a minute more of waiting we are all here. Except Patchouli, who seems to be late.

Remilia slouches back in the throne and looks down on the rest of us. Sakuya stands at her side. Seiga, Yoshika, and Daiyousei all sit next to me in the regular chairs.

_Huh? _I think as I notice Daiyousei take a seat. _She's still here?_

Daiyousei is now in casual attire. She has a long blue dress with white sleeves and trim, and a cute ribbon tied on her collar. Her ponytail used to be tied with a plain ribbon, but is now held with a flower pin instead. She is clearly not a maid anymore, yet she is still here.

Remilia also takes note of this. "Daiyousei, dear, you have already been released as you have requested. There is no need to involve yourself any further."

"Actually." Daiyousei says with eyes somewhat downcast. "I… was… well… umm… I was kind of wondering… if you… maybe…"

"You want to help." I clarify for her.

She nods.

"You request to be discharged, and then wish to assist me in a different way without another thought?" Remilia asks, somewhat agitated.

"She's a fairy." Seiga replies. "Fairy's get overtaken by their emotions more easily than anyone else. They'll do things on a whim. They all have short attention spans…"

"Hey!" Daiyousei exclaims. "I've put a lot of thought into this!"

"How much is a lot? You mean five minutes?" Seiga says with a wicked grin.

Daiyousei looks down. "Ugh…"

_Wait, you can't tell me you're serious! _"Daiyousei, we are facing a dangerous threat. You can't seriously say that you decided that you want to participate in this on only a minute of thought, can you?"

Daiyousei begins to turn red. "W-well…"

Seiga laughs aloud. "Ahahaha! See what I mean? Haha! You're cute to want to help, really, but we don't need such an impulsive airhead with us. You couldn't possibly be of use anyways. Why don't you just go home and do whatever it is you things do."

Daiyousei trembles in anger. "I am not an airhead! And don't you dare refer to fairies as 'things'! We're people too!"

Remilia's sharp voice rises over the argument. "Enough! Seiga Kaku, you will show respect in my home or I _will _throw you out regardless of your request to help us. As for you Daiyousei, I'm afraid I will have to ask for a better reason for why you wish to help us."

"Ok. Well, I've thought about it." Daiyousei begins. "Or, well, I've _been _thinking about it… Lately I've been getting this feeling; like a restless urge. It's the feeling of wanting to take responsibility. I feel like I want to be more than just a girl that plays games and pulls pranks till the end of her days. I know it's strange, the other fairies thought so too, but I still followed it. As I went with this feeling, I kept telling myself it was just a phase, and it would go away after doing hard work."

She looks down and places a hand over her heart as if there is a pain there. "But it won't go away. It just keeps getting stronger. I want to do more than just some work. I want to take do something meaningful with myself, and after today I know just how I'm going to do that. These things I fought, this person who summoned them, are evil. They're unnatural. I know without a doubt that these things don't belong in Gensokyo, and when I fought them with Joseph I knew I was doing something more than just being me."

She looks back up at us with a determined spark in her eyes. "I want to help protect Gensokyo. I know I may just be a fairy, but I feel like this is my true calling. I'll do whatever it takes to end this menace. I'll do whatever it takes to protect my Gensokyo!"

All of us are left in a silence, stunned.

_Well… I wasn't expecting that. That was a bit deeper than I thought. _"I see. You have my thanks Daiyousei. I'm glad you are willing to do the right thing."

Even Seiga is impressed, and manages to not respond with something witty. "My my my, our little fairy wants to be a hero when she grows up. I'm impressed."

Remilia smiles a little. "Indeed. It is unique to see a fairy to have matured so. Truly, you are greater than an ordinary fairy. We will gladly accept your aid."

Daiyousei takes a deep breath. "Ha… thank you all. I hope I'll be of use."

"Now that that is settled, all we are need is Patchouli." Remilia states. "Sakuya, where is Patch-"

"I am here."

I turn to the door to see a young woman enter the room. She is thin and pale. She has a bright purple cloak over purple robes; both look quite comfortable and relaxed. Her eyes are also purple, as is her hair. The only things not purple on her are the ribbons tied in her hair and the golden moon on her hat. She totes an old book in one hand; still using a finger to hold her last read page.

Remilia smiles a bit. "Patchy, it is good you came. Late as always I see."

"Yes, well…" Patchouli replies without enthusiasm.

Without ever really explaining herself, she shuffles across the room and takes a seat at the last chair. Somehow, Sakuya knew just how many chairs to get.

I examine Patchouli. _Marisa said she was a magician with access to a lot of magic and a library. I've been meaning to ask for her help. I wonder if she will still be willing to consider that. Maybe not today though, she looks dead tired. She isn't always like that, is she?_

Without any answers, I turn away and sit back in my chair and listen to Remilia begin.

"So, I am now calling the new anti-Nightcaster coalition's first meeting." Remilia states.

_Coalition? _"So you're forming us into a team against her then?"

Remilia nods. "Indeed. All of us here are now a part of it."

Daiyousei claps. "Hooray! We're all a real team now! I'm happy to be on a team with you all!"

Patchouli groans. "Remi, must you drag me into this game of yours?"

Remilia pouts at her friend. "Yes, and it's not a game. This is a serious discussion, and we will need your magical expertise with this."

While they chatter, Yoshika suddenly lunges sideways and hugs Seiga. "Weeee! I get to be on a team with Seiga!"

Seiga giggles. "Hehehehe! Of course. We'll make a fine team."

I suppress a chuckle. _Yeah. A fine team I bet. It's been too long since I worked on a team. Reminds me before all this mess. When I first became a Slayer, and I went to that one little old town, and the town watch got with me to help track a demon down. It felt good to not be alone._

Sakuya has a small amused smile on her face while she watches all of us react. I feel the same smile form on mine.

_It's good… to not be alone…_

Remilia calls us all to attention. "Now, then. The meeting is beginning. We all know that this person, this Nightcaster, is beyond dangerous. Yet, we know so little about her. To begin, I would like us all to put everything we know forward so that we may combine our information."

Patchouli flips open her book and begins reading. "Well, I don't know anything about her so count me out of this one."

"Joseph, you start." Remilia says.

_Alright. _"I'm an outsider to Gensokyo, so I don't have a lot to offer exactly. Both me and her come from the outside, and I've been in pursuit of her for a long time. I know she's here, and that she's hiding somewhere. She's becoming stronger off of Gensokyo, and she's been planning something with these attacks. I wish I knew exactly what it was, but I know it can't possibly be good. Stopping her is my absolute priority right now."

Daiyousei looks at me with shock. "Ah? You're an outsider? I thought you were just some weird human. You must be really determined to find her if you came all the way to Gensokyo to bring her down."

"Trust me, if I had it in me to let this go I would have." I reply.

Remilia nods at that. "Very well. Perhaps our combined efforts will be able to solve this for you then. But if what you said is true, then that means you know more about her personality than any of us. Is there anything else you could possibly add?"

_Charity… she's not even the same person anymore. _"I'm afraid not much will be of any help. In spite of what her cheerful personality might lead you to believe, she is aggressive and demented deep down. At the same time, she is also a genius, and she knows how to outsmart her opponents."

I could go on, but I don't feel like talking about her is going to solve anything. Hopefully, these small facts will help everyone get a better idea of who we're facing.

Remilia nods at this. "I see. Such a dangerous person… Do you know why she is here though?"

I shake my head.

"Very well. I'm afraid it isn't much, but perhaps it will give us a clue later." Remilia concludes. "Now, it is your turn Seiga and Yoshika. Why are you here and what do you know about this person?"

Seiga speaks up next, and explains her story to us; detailing how she was attacked and robbed.

"I don't know she would need it for." Seiga says as she begins to conclude. "But the Wall Passing Chisel is powerful, and this magician could easily abuse its power for her own purposes."

Remilia frowns. "My… how unfortunate. If she has gained the power to pass through walls then finding her will be much harder than I thought."

Remilia sighs as she speaks next. "I'm sorry I don't have much to add myself. I only saw her minions. Foul creatures they are… As for the attack itself, it seems as though there was no motive."

_Huh? _"What do you mean?"

Sakuya, surprisingly, speaks. "If I may explain for the Mistress, the attack did not seem to achieve anything. Nothing was taken, and no one in particular was attacked. It just seemed like an attack against the people of the mansion. Countless fairies were lost, and Meiling-"

Remilia suddenly snaps at her. "Meiling is only missing. _Missing._ There is no evidence confirming her death."

Sakuya quickly bows in respect. "I'm sorry. My apologies Mistress."

Patchouli sighs as she continues to read. "Remi… I know you care about Meiling, but we know she didn't just run and hide. We both know her better than that. Most likely, she tried her best to fight and was overwhelmed by the enemy swarm as they came to the mansion. Yet, her body has not been found either. Based on that, the only conclusion I can make is that she is being held captive for some reason. If this person captured her though, then there's no telling what kind of torture she is enduring right now. Even if there is no evidence confirming her death, you must still consider the possibility that she may have been-"

"Enough!" Remilia commands. "Meiling is not dead! I refuse to believe that!"

Patchouli just sighs again.

_She really does care about her friend… _I think as I see the desperate look in Remilia's eyes.

"If Meiling really has been captured though, then that means we're going to have to save her. Right?" Daiyousei innocently asks.

Remilia smiles at her. "Well said. Of course we will have to. As soon as we find the true location of this Nightcaster, we will find and save Meiling from her prison."

_But… _"I'm sorry to bring you down again Remilia, but based on what we know… well… we know nothing. Her motives are confused, other than that she needs to attack people for some reason. Seiga is the only one who saw her, and only for a moment, and no one knows where she is now. I'm sorry to say this everyone, but we have absolutely nothing to go on here."

Everyone falls silent. Remilia closes her eyes as she goes into deep thought, Daiyousei casts her eyes downward, and Seiga adopts a frustrated look as she mutters to herself.

_Gah, maybe that was too much._ I nervously think. _I should try to make a suggestion._

"L-look. It doesn't mean we can't beat her yet. I doubt one attack will sate her desire. She will strike again; we just need to make sure we're ready when she does." I quickly say to try and raise morale.

Daiyousei looks up. "Oh? Like… an attack force or something?"

"Yeah. Something like that. She will have to move again soon enough. We need to make sure we're strong enough and mobile enough when she does." I explain further.

"With a plan like that, you will only be able to chase her shadow. Her summons can do her work for her. She will only need to appear for a brief moment to initiate the attack, and could be gone before we could even arrive." Patchouli says with yet another tired sigh.

"I'm afraid I must agree with Patchouli." Remilia frowns. "We will need more than that."

_Gah… She's probably right._

We are all silent. All of us are at a loss. No sooner did our team begin to gather the fire of motivation, did we lose it to depression.

But then, someone moves at the door. A small knock.

"Hm? Who is there?" Remilia calls.

Sakuya bows to Remilia. "Excuse me Mistress."

Sakuya walks to the door and opens it. She peers halfway through the open door and looks down at the guest, whom I cannot see.

After a brief moment, Sakuya turns around and faces us.

"It is the child shikigami, Chen. She says she comes bearing news regarding the Nightcaster." Sakuya says. "Shall I admit her to our group?"

"Interesting." Remilia muses.

"Yukari's pet?" Seiga says with some disgust. "What does that hag have to do with this?"

_Yukari. Yukari, Yukari. Hmm…_

That name seems familiar, but I can't seem remember. I'm sure I've heard it recently, but it keeps slipping my mind.

I shake off the thought after a moment.

"In any case, we should let her in. Seeing as we have nothing to go on, we aren't in a position to be turning down information." I say.

"I agree." Remilia states. "Sakuya, let her in, but keep a close eye on her. Cats are quite fickle."

"Of course Mistress."

_Cat? _I wonder.

I soon figure out what she meant by that. The girl who comes in, Chen, is a short young girl with a red dress and a green hat. Behind her is a pair of black cat tails; twirling and flicking about in a cat-like manner. Her thin body and narrow facial features are all suspiciously cat-like as well.

_Some kind of feline demon? She's probably the tricky sort then. Why is she here?_

Chen walks in, being guided by Sakuya, to the middle of the room.

Seiga crosses her arms and speaks in a low voice. "You'd best not try any tricks with me kid. You're master isn't around, so watch yourself."

"U-umm… ok." Chen mutters. She looks shy. Perhaps she is not used to going out alone, or it could just be she isn't used to being in front of a group.

Chen scans us all, and stops when she sets her eyes on me.

"Are you Joseph M… Ma… Mata… Met… er, how do I say it?" She asks as she stumbles on my name.

"Joseph Mateba." _It's not a hard name. _"Yes, that is me."

Chen quietly walks over to me and thrusts a sealed letter at to me. "Here. Master said this is for you."

I take the letter. "Ah? What is it?"

"U-umm… I was told not to read it." Chen mumbles.

"Well, alright. Thanks. I'll have a look." I say to her.

"Ok…" She mumbles again.

But then, without warning, Chen suddenly leaps up in joy. "Yeah! Mission accomplished! I did my first real job without messing up! Ran is going to be so proud!"

Daiyousei applauds without missing a beat. "Well done Chen!"

It's only a delivery, but I let her have her victory and say nothing.

"I'll go tell Ran right away! Bye everyone!"

Before any of us can say anything to stop her, she runs out the door and down the hall with an incredible speed. She's gone in a mere instant.

_Ha… so she's actually energetic. She's just shy because it was her first time doing something important. Good for her._

"I am curious Joseph. Tell me, what does it say?" Remilia asks.

_Fair enough, let's see what's in here._

I pick open the envelope and read it aloud.

"To Joseph Mateba." _Ok, that's me._

"My name is Ran Yakumo. I am the shikigami, the servant if you will, of Yukari Yakumo; the woman who brought your Nightcaster to Gensokyo."

_Ah! I remember that name now! The Nightcaster said she contacted Yukari to take her to Gensokyo. Argh, that demon! She's on her side! This is a letter from an enemy then._

"Yukari brought her here?" Remilia asks in shock. "For what reason? How could she possibly allow such a dangerous person into Gensokyo?"

"It seems the hag has finally gone senile." Seiga says half to herself.

I go on without allowing for discussion. "I know you don't have any reason to trust me, but I need your help defeating this magician."

_Huh? Isn't she Yukari's servant?_

I quickly read the next lines. "I know that this Nightcaster is a dangerous woman, and that she doesn't belong here in Gensokyo. Yet it seems my master does not see things that way. This Nightcaster is powerful in strange ways, and I fear she has magically persuaded Yukari to her side somehow. My master is not herself anymore, and she is strangely committed to this woman's cause. For Gensokyo's sake, she needs to be stopped."

"This does not bode well." Patchouli grumbles. "I do not know what kind of bizarre spell could charm the gap youkai of Gensokyo, but if she is truly under the Nightcaster's spell then there is no way we can stop the Nightcaster now."

Daiyousei gasps. "What? No way at all?"

"Indeed." Remilia says with a grimace. "Yukari is beyond powerful, and with her at her side then the Nightcaster cannot possibly be beaten."

There is still more to the note though, so I keep going. "I know you wish to defeat this Nightcaster, but as long as Yukari is under her control than she cannot be beaten, or found for that matter. But, I think we may still be able to free her. You will need my help doing so, but I'm afraid I cannot offer it openly. Yukari watches much of Gensokyo, and I cannot defy her openly; lest she force me to stop."

"There is a place deep within Youkai Mountain called The Palace of the Earth Spirits. My master is not fond of the underground palace, and is especially not fond of its master. She does not watch it. It is the safest place we can meet. Come there, and I will meet you. There is much I can help you with. Please, hurry. Ran Yakumo." I read as I finish the note.

I fold the letter and set it down. "Well, that's it… What do you think?"

"It's a farce." Seiga immediately states. "There is no reason to trust her, especially if her master is responsible for this in the first place."

"But… She sounded like she really needs help. We should meet her." Daiyousei argues.

"Indeed. In the most dangerous area in all of Gensokyo, with one of the most feared persons in all of the underground." Patchouli counters. "It is undoubtedly a trap."

"I agree with Patchouli. It is dangerous, and Yukari and her shikigami are untrustworthy." Remilia says in agreement.

"But we can't just ignore her! She needs help!" Daiyousei argues again.

Seiga, Patchouli, and Remilia are all against following the letter. Daiyousei is for.

And I have to say I'm for too.

"I agree it's probably going to be a little dangerous, and there is going to be some risk involved." I begin. "But we can't turn her down either, even if it's a trap. We have nothing, and if we don't do something to get ourselves together we aren't going to be able to stop her. If she's sincere then great. If not, well we'll just have to spring her trap and figure it out afterwards. We can't ignore this."

"Yeah!" Daiyousei cheers.

"Ugh… humans." Patchouli sighs. "Do you even know what the underground is? It is home to some of the most powerful and dangerous species of youkai in Gensokyo. You may be stronger than an ordinary human, but you will not survive that place. Do you truly want to go there?"

"I'll manage." I assert.

"Then you can count me out." Patchouli says. "I've been there once, and I don't care to go again."

"I'm sorry Joseph, but I am not in the position to be taking any long journeys either. The mansion still needs a mistress. I'm afraid I cannot go." Remilia adds with a frown.

I look to Seiga, who surprisingly turns me down as well. "Sorry Joseph, but me and the underground don't mix. It's a long story, but I'm afraid I can't either. Going underground is the last thing I want to do right now."

_So… I guess I am alone then…_

"Well, I'll go with you!" Daiyousei confidently states.

"Are you sure Daiyousei?" Patchouli asks. "You will be going deep into the Youkai Mountain. You will be far from your friends and your native lake. You will be challenged in new ways you cannot imagine."

"I told you I made up my mind!" Daiyousei asserts. "I want to do this, and if you don't want to help with this then just stay out of the way!"

"I can't tell if you're truly brave or just stupid." Patchouli groans.

"In any case." I quickly change the topic before Daiyousei gets fired up. "It seems both of us are going to the underground. Any objections?"

"If you are so willing, then I will not oppose. I suppose this is worth investigating after all." Remilia says.

Nobody else challenges us.

I stand up out of the chair and stretch. "Well… I guess that settles it. Me and Daiyousei will go to the underground to find this person and see what happens."

Remilia nods. "Agreed. But it is dark now. Please, rest here first and go in the morning. I am sure you are tired."

_So tired. _"Thank you Remilia."

"Yes, well… since we are now working together, we must support each other. Think nothing of it."

_Sure… you stubborn vampire. You know you wanted to say 'happy to help'. She's actually been pretty nice ever since I helped her. She's really a benevolent mistress deep down. She just really doesn't like humans._

_In fact… now that I think about it… Sakuya is the only other human in the group. I haven't even taken note of the fact I'm surrounded by dangerous youkai. Not a one of them has tried to attack me even though I'm a Slayer._

_These really aren't bad people at all. These aren't like the demons I know at all. Gensokyo really is a different world. I really don't feel bad at all about being with these people. It's… kind of nice._

_Ah, I'm losing track of myself again. Stop that Joseph!_

I let the thought go and speak to everyone. "Well… I guess that's all we can do for now."

"Indeed. That is all for now. Daiyousei and Joseph will go to the underground to investigate this letter. Me, Patchouli, Seiga, and Yoshika will remain on the surface and try to figure a way to anticipate the Nightcaster's next move. And with that, our first meeting is concluded." Remilia states.

She then turns to Sakuya. "Sakuya, would you kindly prepare rooms and dinner accommodations for our guests?"

"Of course Mistress."

Sakuya leaves at her master's word.

"Until then, I would suggest you all remain on the premises or at least nearby. We will have more discussions tomorrow while Joseph and Daiyousei are gone and I want you here for them." Remilia states.

Daiyousei gets up and heads for the door.

"Phew… I'm beat. I'm going to lounge around for a while." She says as she heads out.

"Yeah, rest up. We're leaving early." I call out after her.

Seiga and Yoshika both get up as well. "Well… I guess the mansion isn't _all _bad. Come Yoshika, let's have a look around."

"Okay!"

Remilia herself then gets up. "Well, I suppose I'd best entertain myself for the moment. I think I'll see what Flandre is up to."

She leaves to, leaving me and Patchouli in the room alone. Patchouli does not rise from her seat.

"You're not leaving?" I ask her.

"I will eventually, but it's quiet in here now and I'm nearly done deciphering this chapter." She says while she flips the page of her old spell book.

_Well, if she's just hanging around, then I guess I may as well ask._

I step towards her. "Patchouli… can I ask a favor?"

"Hm?"

"Can you show me some magic?" I ask.

"Hm?" She echoes.

_Err… Let me explain._

I detail to Patchouli my experience with Byakuren. I explain how I have some passive ability to absorb lesser magic.

"So you were enchanted by her through a dream? Interesting. Alright, you have my attention." She says as she closes her book.

"I've only ever had use for my spell once or twice so far, but it never hurts to prepare. Do you think you can help give some magic?" I say after a short explanation.

"Well, I suppose Remi will throw a fit if I don't do something to help with this thing she's trying to do." Patchouli says with a sigh. "But, I don't make a habit of wasting my library's space with junk spells like the one you need. My spells are complex and demanding. Your options will be limited."

_Junk spells? That's harsh… _"Well, I suppose that's fine then. Just a little extra help would work for me."

"Very well. I must admit, I grow bored of seeing all these spells in my library going unused all the time, and I would like to see how this absorption ability of yours works. Meet me in the morning before you depart. I will have something for you." Patchouli says as she gets up and begins to shuffle out of the room.

"Yes. Thank you." I say as she passes by me.

Soon, she leaves and I am alone with the mansion.

_Hmm… Well I guess that's a day. I can't believe we've actually got a whole group now. It's kind of refreshing really. It'll definitely throw the Nightcaster for a loop when she finds out I, a Slayer, am working with other demons to stop her._

_I guess I should do something in the meantime though…_

I step out of the room and scan the halls. A lone fairy still busies herself with dusting a piece of furniture. These crimson halls here are already clean again after having been destroyed, and this place has regained its true form; radiating with a sinister, dark elegance.

With no direction in mind, I walk down the halls as I wait.

I've gained new allies today, and have no goals to achieve now. Everything is clear for me again. All that is left to do now is wait for tomorrow to come.

With nothing to do but wait, I begin spending the rest of my night in the house of the Scarlet Devil alongside my new allies.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

This isn't so much an action-y chapter this time. For the most part, I just wanted to set up some dialogue with the different characters and set up the direction the story is going to be going next. I always worry that long conversations can get boring when they only stick to the point, so I try my best to add details and the like to make it more interesting. Daiyousei starts trying to take the role of a determined hero, Ran finally contacts Joseph and reveals her concerns, and setting the next stage to be in the underground all added elements to try and keep this an interesting chapter.

Some characters here a little out of character this time. When I show a character having a change of personality (Namely Daiyousei and Remilia here), I also try to make sure to give a good reason for this. I think as long as there is an acceptable logic for a change, and a change is not too drastic or unusual, then I think characters can occasionally break out from who they are defined to be and act a little differently in a story. Hopefully, I didn't come off as too strange or forced with some different character interpretations here.

Anyways...

Thank you again for reading my story. Finals week next week is going to take up my time, so it may be a while, but I won't give up on trying. The next chapter will be ready as soon as I can get to it.


	19. Chapter 19

**Your journey to hell begins.**

* * *

Last night in the mansion was… hard for me.

After my aimless wandering, we finally sat down to have dinner; some kind of fine soup I didn't recognize. It was good, but it was still quite different than what I'm used to. Afterwards, I wandered some more until night fell.

Sleep was hard to get last night. My thoughts and troubles still weigh heavily on my mind. I found sleep soon enough, but not as soon as I'd have liked. I felt like I had just barely slept when dull morning light began to filter in through the curtains.

I knew I needed to get ready to get going with Daiyousei to the underground, but Patchouli said she would have something for me this morning. So, I went to meet her. It took me a minute to find her library, but now I am here.

_I suppose I just go in?_

I grab one of the heavy double doors and push it open. With a creak, it swings inward to reveal a large chamber.

_Oh… wow…_

At first, I thought I had entered the wrong room. From this door, I stand atop a staircase and balcony that overlooks the rest of the room. The roof is incredibly high up, and the room is full of large pillars and separated hallways; all made of shining marble. Large tapestries and drapes also hang from the walls and pillars.

Except… they aren't just pillars I see, they're bookshelves; round ones that reach high up. The tall marble walls are also bookshelves brimming with books. Most of the pillars and bookshelves are so tall that additional walkways hang from them, allowing access to the higher levels from the ground. This place is an endless maze of books.

_So many books! This is bigger than any library I've ever seen! _I think in awe.

"Good, you are here."

Patchouli's voice rises up from below and prompts me to look down the balcony. Patchouli sits at a desk with the same book she had before.

"Come down here." She requests. "I have something for you."

I follow her request and quickly descend the stairs and approach her desk. Patchouli looks as tired and ill as she did yesterday.

I greet her as I walk up to her desk. "Hey, I'm here. Sorry if I came a little late. I had a bad night. What did you find?"

"This." She says as she pushes a crumpled piece of parchment towards me. It looks like a torn page.

_Hmm… _"What is it? I can't seem to read it."

"It is, or was, part of a book." She explains in her usual dull tone. "A certain fool witch who doesn't know how to properly take care of a book did this by mistake. Thankfully, it tore neatly and is still intact. The magical formula is still on the page and can be used."

"I see. Interesting…"

Patchouli closes her book and begins to stare at me. "You claimed to have the ability to 'absorb' magical formulae to use instantly. I am quite curious to see how this works. If you can do so, then this spell should work perfectly for you."

I nod. "Ok. If you say so. Let's give it a shot."

I pick up the scroll and look at it.

_Now… I just look at it a certain way, don't I?_

I carefully examine the page. The strange symbols are all gibberish to me at first, but then, there is a flash. The world vanishes. The magic symbols jump out into my eyes and burn their way into my mind. Byakuren's enchantment takes effect and shows me how to understand the spell.

The effect is mind-numbing, but also very brief. In a few seconds, it is over and everything is back to normal.

"Interesting." Patchouli muses as she continues to stare at me intently. "The transition seemed smooth, but how well did you retain the spell? Perhaps we should have a test to be sure."

Patchouli waves a finger and shoots a wisp of light out from her hand. The wisp zooms past her desk and past me. As soon as it passes me though, it stops in place.

The small wisp is nothing more than a glowing blue puff of conjured matter. It's only a target.

"Show me the spell. You can use this dummy to practice on." Patchouli says.

"Very well." I say as I turn to face the target.

I reach back into my mind and find it just as easy to remember Intuition as it is the new spell. I arch back my fingers, direct my focus towards in front of me, and aim my hand at the target.

Then, heat. My fingertips sting as fire emerges from my hand and flies outward in a condensed bolt. The bolt of flame soars towards the target wisp and strikes it. The flame rolls over and disintegrates the target.

_Whoa…_

"Impressive." Patchouli says. "Complete retention. It seems you truly can learn magic after all. That Ember spell should serve you well."

_Ember? I guess it has a name too. Well, it's some attacking magic, but it didn't look very powerful. I remember Byakuren said the stone I have could amplify spells beyond what they usually do. Maybe-_

Patchouli interrupts me. "I suppose that will have to be all for now though. Thank you for coming by and showing me that. It was very interesting. But, I believe you should depart soon. You have a long way to go, and Daiyousei is most likely looking for you."

_Ah, right. I'll have to mess with it later._

"Thanks for the magic Patchouli. This will definitely help." I respectfully say to her.

"Indeed. But remember, you are still inexperienced. Be careful not to drain yourself by casting magic repeatedly." She warns.

I begin to head back for the stairs. "Right. I know that. Thanks again Patchouli."

"Yes… goodbye for now." She quietly replies.

With that, I head back up the stairs and make my way for the door. I push the door open and step out, but as I do so I am immediately greeted by a familiar face. Daiyousei.

Daiyousei smiles as she sees me. "Ah, you are here. Remilia said you might be here."

I greet her back. "Hello there. Sorry for not telling you last night. Slipped my mind… anyways, are you ready to go?"

"You bet!" She enthusiastically replies.

_Heh… _"You sure seem excited."

"You bet I am!" She says with a grin. "I feel great about this! Me, a fairy, on a real quest to fight an evil force! This is fantastic! I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile here; something I'm meant to do. I have good feelings about this Joseph, I really do!"

"Haha." I chuckle. "Good to know you're ready. But don't forget we're going into danger here. You can feel good about it, but just remember to keep your cool. It's going to get tough."

"Right." She confirms.

"Ok. Let's get going. Can you lead us out?" I ask.

She giggles a little. "Still don't know your way around? Hehehe. Ok then. I'll lead."

She turns and begins leading us out. In a few minutes, we are out of the mansion. I'm glad to be outside.

_Ah, sunlight. Good to get some fresh air_

Aside from a few clouds, the sun is shining and the sky is clear. The air is cool, and the wind is refreshing. A good morning to start on, and excellent traveling weather.

But this is Gensokyo. There will inevitably be some difficulties ahead in spite of the weather. I'm not afraid, but I wonder how well Daiyousei will hold up. She seems strong, but I don't want her to get hurt either.

_I guess I'll just have to keep going and see how she does._

As we cross the courtyard, I find an odd sight at the gate. Yoshika, of all people, is here. She is standing next to the still broken gate.

She notices us right away. "Oh? Oh! Hello human person!"

_Huh? _"What are you doing here?"

Daiyousei explains for me. "Well, since Meiling is gone, we kind of decided to put Yoshika on the gate for now. She's kind of a guard already, so…"

_Ah, I guess that makes sense._

"I actually kind of miss Meiling." Daiyousei sighs. "She was always so nice to me and Cirno whenever we came by. Now that she's gone… this gate feels so quiet."

_Hm… I never knew her._

Yoshika tilts her head. "Huh? Quiet? Am I not supposed to be quiet? I can make some noise if you want."

Daiyousei giggles a bit. "You sure are a silly person."

"What?" A confused Yoshika asks.

"Just forget about it." I say to her. "It's nothing. We're actually heading out for now, and we need to get going."

Yoshika nods. "Ok then. Good luck out there!"

"Thanks." Daiyousei says back.

Daiyousei resumes leading us out. We give a friendly wave goodbye to Yoshika as we leave her and the mansion entirely.

The fog from the lake hasn't come out yet, but it will soon. As it is now though, I can clearly see where we're going. The letter from Ran said this place was somewhere in Youkai Mountain; which I assume is the large mountain before us.

As to where exactly this place is, I do not know.

As we continue to walk alongside the lake, I stop to ask a question.

"Daiyousei…" I begin to ask. "Do you know how to get to this place?"

"Well… I've never been there personally, but I do have this." She replies while reaching into a pocket on her hip.

She draws a piece of folded paper, and begins unfolding it. I can tell it's a map. Crudely drawn, but still a map.

"One of the fairies in the mansion gave me this last night. She's been underground once, and she made a map for me when she heard. Up at the mountain, there's a stream that goes into the mountain and all the way to the underground and the palace. We can follow it in easily." She explains.

"You've never been this way yourself though?" I ask._  
_

"N-no. But, I'm sure this will lead us there. I'm sure of it." She replies as confidently as she can.

_Hm… _"Well, worth a shot. Let's keep-"

"Daiyousei! Hey! Heeeeey!" A voice calls from far away.

Before I can even get sight of the voice, the person in question flies clear past me and tackles into Daiyousei, nearly knocking her out of the air.

But of course, she doesn't fall as the newcomer is also a natural flier. A girl with blue hair, a simple blue dress, and blue wings that look like polished ice.

_A fairy, clearly. She also seems to be a great fairy of some sort, but she still looks a good bit younger than Daiyousei. And I'm assuming that hug and that smile means that she knows Daiyousei. This must be…_

Daiyousei confirms my guess.

"Cirno, hey! Come on you, let go. Hehe." Daiyousei chuckles while trying to pry Cirno off her.

Cirno is eventually pried off, but keeps her energy as she talks to her friend. "Hey hey hey! Daiyousei! It's good to see ya! It's been days since I've even seen you come out of that mansion! What've you been up to?"

"Sorry Cirno, been busy with the maid thing. I…er… quit so-"

Cirno interrupts. "Huh? Ya quit? Didn't work out huh? I told you it wouldn't last. Told ya soooooo! Ehehehehe!"

Daiyousei quietly laughs along. "Hehe. Yes, well…"

Cirno's squeaking voice once again rises up over Daiyousei's sweet one. "Hey! Now that you're done with all that junk, want to play a game? It's been _ages_ since we did anything fun together! C'mon c'mon! I found this new thing that-"

But as Cirno begins to pull Daiyousei away, she resists. "Cirno, hold on! I'd love to play, but I can't. I'm in the middle of something really important."

Cirno cocks her head to the side. "Huh?"

"I'm going to the underground with Joseph here." Daiyousei explains. "We've got to take care of some things there."

'_Some things'? She's evading the topic. It seems like she doesn't want to involve Cirno with this mess._

Cirno looks at her friend with confusion. "Joseph? Who's J-"

Then, Cirno finally notices me.

Before I can even react, Cirno swoops down and hovers right in my face and bombards me with questions.

"Heeeey. You're a human. What are you doing here? Are you friends with Daiyousei? Why are you going to the underground? What are those things on your back? Is that a weapon? It looks funny. You look kind of funny you know. Tired too. Did you sleep at all last night? Or maybe you just woke up. I get all groggy and tired when I wake up too. Dai keeps telling me to get more sleep but I don't think it helps. Maybe it helps humans? What do you think about that? Might be worth trying you know."

She spoke so fast I barely understood any of that. The fact that she kept changing topics didn't help either.

_I… er… what? _"Hey, slow down there. That didn't make any sense."

Daiyousei puts a hand on Cirno's shoulder and pulls her away from me. "Cirno, please. Joseph is a human. Humans don't like it when fairies buzz in their faces like that."

"Hey!" Cirno exclaims. "I don't buzz! I'm not a bug."

"Well, you were bugging him just now." Daiyousei counters. "And in any case, he is a talented exterminator so don't provoke him."

Cirno jumps, or floats rather, in shock away from me. "Whaaaaa? An exterminator? You'd better not be trying to exterminate my friend! I'm the strongest one around these parts! I'll beat you up!"

"Cirno please!" Daiyousei tries to assert. "Joseph is an ally. We're going to the underground together."

Cirno calms down. "Oh… but why down there? And why with him? The only thing in the underground is dark and… underground-y stuff."

"And…" Cirno whispers loudly to Daiyousei. "I don't like this guy. He's a human, and you know how humans treat fairies."

"Yes, I know how humans like to treat fairies." Daiyousei plainly replies. "But Joseph isn't like them. Now enough is enough Cirno. We really need to get going. We have to get to the mountain still."

"Wait wait wait!" Cirno frantically says. "Y-you're already wanting to leave? We just saw each other for the first time in over a week and you want to leave without even telling me why? At least tell me what you're doing!"

Daiyousei casts her eyes to the side. "It's… er… it's a secret. Sorry Cirno."

This does not please Cirno at all. "Wha-wha-whaaaat? But why? First you disappear to do _work _and now you're keeping secrets from me? This isn't cool Dai."

Daiyousei sighs. "I'm sorry Cirno. I can't."

"Yes you can." Cirno presses. "Come on, we're friends. We've known each other for decades! Why can't you tell me?"

"Cirno, it's really better if you don't know." I say to her.

"Argh! But I hate not knowing! This isn't fair at all!" Cirno pouts at me.

"L-look. Um…" Daiyousei says as she tries to compromise with her friend. "What if we… umm… what if we brought a souvenir back from the underground? I know you've never been so what if we brought something back?"

Cirno perks up at that. "Oh? Really?"

Daiyousei nods. "Definitely. I'll make sure to pick something you like."

Cirno thinks on it for a few seconds before agreeing. "Ok. I guess that'll work too…"

Cirno seems a little reluctant still, but it she was still pleased by the idea of a gift.

"But!" Cirno suddenly exclaims. "One condition: promise you'll come play with me again when this is all over? I get lonely playing around the lake by myself. I really miss ya…"

Daiyousei nods. "Deal. Don't you worry; I'll be done in a jiffy. As soon as I finish up we'll have lots of fun. No more silly working for me."

Cirno slowly begins to float away. "Ok then. Well… I guess I'll let you go do your secret thing…"

"Sorry Cirno." Daiyousei sighs.

"No, it's fine. This is that responsibility thing you were going on about, right?" She says with a weak smile. "It's fine. I still think you should see a doctor about those weird ideas you're getting, but you gotta do what ya gotta do…"

"Don't worry Cirno, I'll be back." Daiyousei reassures.

Cirno manages a real smile. "Ha. I know you will. Bye Daiyousei! Bring me back something good!"

"Bye Cirno! I will!"

Cirno drifts farther and farther away, and soon she turns and zooms off. She is gone now.

Daiyousei looks down and sighs.

_That looked hard for her. _"You pushed her away. Why?"

"Cirno's my best friend." Daiyousei slowly explains. "She's strong and strong willed… but I know her better than anyone else. She's still young for a greater fairy. She still gets scared. I don't want her getting caught up in this mess; I don't know how she would handle it. I want her to stay my friend. I don't want her to change like I am."

I nod. "I can respect that. There's no need to put her in danger. That was probably a smart move. Don't get down about it."

Daiyousei tries to perk up a bit. "Heh. Thanks. Good to hear that."

"Now…" I say as I begin to take the lead. "We need to go the mountain, right? Let's keep going for now. You can get Cirno a souvenir when we get to the underground."

"Sounds good." She replies.

_Good. Now that we're past Cirno, we can finally get somewhere._

With all that behind us now, me and Daiyousei pass the remainder of the lake and head for the forest on the other side. The dark woods cast a towering shadow over us as we approach it. Far beyond it is the mountain we seek.

"Hm…"

"Everything ok?" Daiyousei says as she notices me in mumble to myself.

"Just this place." I begin. "I feel uneasy here. "

Even when I was with Marisa, the forest made me nervous. It feels like the whole place is watching you. Gensokyo may not be an evil world, but there is definitely something wrong with this forest.

"The Forest of Magic." Daiyousei says. "It's not kind on humans. The air here is dangerous to them, unlike youkai. Are you sure you're ready?"

I nod. "I'm not afraid of some trees."

"Alright. If you say so. Let's go in then." Daiyousei says as she guides me through the trees."

We enter the forest and begin walking among the trees. The narrow leaves of the trees canopy cast the strange striped shadows as daylight filters through them. Rays of light allow for good visibility, but the shadows are strong here too. It would be easy to hide here, even in plain day.

Me and Daiyousei are mostly quiet as we pass through the forest. Both of us are wary as we pass the strange plants. Daiyousei isn't saying much, but I can tell she knows the way. As we walk though, I begin to notice eyes following us.

"Daiyousei, I think we're being followed." I whisper to her.

She doesn't seem concerned when I tell her this though. "Ah, them? They're just other fairies. They're suspicious of us, and wary of you."

_Oh… I guess she would be one to know. Good to know it's not something dangerous then._

Her words remind me of something Cirno said earlier though. Something that reminded me of what Nitori mentioned about human and youkai relations.

"Daiyousei, you said there is something about the way humans treat fairies? What did you mean by that?" I ask.

"Well… fairies are… um… well… ugh, no way around it." She says with a frustrated sigh. "Fairies are just weak. They're Gensokyo's lowest level of youkai. A human stands a good chance of beating a fairy even without magic, so fairies are often targets for them. Sometimes it's just to vent anger, other times fairies are treated like sport and hunted down like pests. Many humans don't even regard fairies as people."

_So, just as they are troublemakers they are also victims. I hope those humans are being careful. Meddling with demons poses risks; even with weaker ones. I'm sure Daiyousei wouldn't be kind if she saw something like that._

She then confirms my thoughts to be true. "Of course, if I caught sight of any of that I'd sort that human out in an instant. See, some fairies are gifted by nature when they are born, like I was, and they grow bigger and gain more magic than ordinary fairies. Fairies like me and Cirno are actually quite a bit stronger than an ordinary human."

"I see."

Daiyousei looks off to the side a bit though. "Now that I think about it, Gensokyo has changed a lot recently. There used to not be many big fairies like me, but now… I mean, just look at me. When I got measured for my maid outfit, I was over one hundred and sixty centimeters tall! Years ago, a fairy half my size used to be considered full grown, but now you got fairies like me and Cirno who are growing almost as big as humans; normal fairies are getting bigger and stronger too. Most youkai don't even look like youkai anymore, and many have actually been mistaking certain youkai for humans now. The number of long lived youkai, including fairies, has also been going up and up. I'm almost two hundred myself. Humans have been expanding too, but they're still only human. They haven't been getting stronger like we have."

"I see." I repeat.

_Hmm… that doesn't sound good. Nitori said youkai and human relations are getting worse, and if youkai are becoming stronger then it's only a matter of time before they overpower them. I hope that doesn't happen, but if these demons are getting stronger then eventually…_

"A-anyways." Daiyousei says as she quickens her pace. "I didn't mean to get off topic there. Just ignore the fairies following us. They won't attack if you're with me. We're still safe."

"Is that so?"

That wasn't from either of us.

I quickly spin around to see the voice talking to us. It's a short young girl. A blonde with a red ribbon in her hair. She wears a dirty black vest and skirt, and has deep red eyes that are staring intently at me. Just as Daiyousei had said, she looks just like a human girl; except for the eyes. She stands in the shadow next to a tree. The darkness seems to cling to her.

"Who are you?" I demand. "What are you doing here?"

"Joseph…" Daiyousei says in a warning tone. "Step away…"

_Huh? _

The girl steps towards me with a smile on her face. "Hey there human! You are human, right? Can I eat you?"

_W-what? _"Eat me?"

"Joseph, stay back!" Daiyousei shouts.

I notice the girl getting closer to me. Instinctively, I step away right as she throws herself at me. The girl misses me, trips, and winds up on the ground with a mouth full of dirt.

She pulls herself up and spits out the dirt. "Ffft. Pleh! Blah!"

I draw my pistol and aim it at her. "What do you think you are doing? Explain yourself!"

"This is Rumia." Daiyousei explains for her. "She's a delinquent human-eating youkai that Cirno plays with. She's dangerous."

Rumia stands up and looks at me with the same intensity as before. "Uhh… hungry. Let me eat you!"

_I am not going to be eaten, especially not by this girl._

Rumia steps towards me again. I step away from her.

"Rumia, you aren't going to eat me. I'm a demon hunter. I won't lie down and die for you." I forcefully say.

"Go home Rumia." Daiyousei orders. "You can't eat him."

Rumia stops and tilts her head to the side. "Hunter? Oooh… That sucks. Hunters always fight back when I try to eat them. I'm so hungry right now. I don't want to fight for food."

"But…" She says with a twisted smile. "You're the first person I've seen in quite a while. You're my only catch so far. So in that case… I won't mind working for my meal."

_Crap._

Rumia extends her arms to her side, forming a 'T' shape, and begins to hover with her magic. Dark shadows seethe and drip from her fingers like an oil. The darkness she forms falls and spreads over the ground, creating black shadows around her.

_Is that darkness? She must be a shadow manipulating demon. This could get hard. I don't have any light sources with me._

"Rumia!" Daiyousei calls to her. "Stop this instant!"

"Quiet, you fairy!" Rumia says back. "If you get in my way I'll beat you up too! I'm going to eat him and that's final." Rumia firmly states.

_We'll see about that._

Daiyousei groans. "Ugh. We were almost out of here too. It looks like we aren't getting away without a fight."

"Fine." I grunt. "Let's deal with her quickly."

Rumia's red eyes stare back at us as darkness swirls around her.

"Gonna eat you up!" Rumia sings.

"Just try." I growl back.

Rumia shoots a wicked grin at us. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she sends a wave of dark burning orbs at us. Both of us duck down and safely dodge through the attack. When I look up to take aim though, Rumia is gone.

_I guess that settles it. She wants my flesh, and she's willing to fight for it. I guess it's a fight then._

Me and Daiyousei have managed to make it into the Forest of Magic, but it seems we aren't getting by easily today. Rumia has come to bar our way, and we will have to force her back if we want to get out of here.

I manage to catch sight of Rumia as she whirls through the trees in the distance; trying to be evasive and confusing.

_You'll have to try better than that!_

I raise my pistol's aim and fire a few shots at her. Rumia squeaks in surprise and flies sharply to the right.

And so our fight begins. Daiyousei is at my side, but Rumia is just as determined as we are. She wants my flesh, and is ready to fight me for it.

But I will not lose here.

Rumia continues to circle and weave around us. Finally, she stops for a second to attack. She raises her hand, and fires off another volley of magic at us.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

I had good bit of fun with this one. I wanted to add some more details on this Gensokyo, on how things are changing and the like. Just as much as I want the characters to seem real and alive, I want my world and places to seem real and alive. I try to add realistic world problems and events that make reading about this Gensokyo interesting and fun. Daiyousei's contemplating of the human/youkai situation and the mention of how fairies and humans are on bad terms with each other are some examples of what I mean by that.

But I didn't want to drag out the conversations too long this time, so I tried to keep the characters moving and lead the chapter's end with a fight with Rumia, everyone's favorite darkness youkai. I know when I started this that I'm going to need a lot of writing to cover all the events of the story, but I still try to take care not to be boring and stagnant. Any chances where I can realistically skip time to avoid uninteresting events (like the start of this chapter) or where I can keep the story moving through dialogue or action (Like how Joseph and Daiyousei chat while they travel through the forest) I will usually take. That doesn't mean I'm lazy and trying to skip my own story, but I don't want it to be boring either, and I feel that if any one event is taking too long or is getting too much detail, even if well done, can get old, so I try to avoid that.

Anyways...

Thank you again for reading. I hope to have the next chapter ready soon.


	20. Chapter 20

**For every darkness, there is a light.**

* * *

"Gah. Damn it." I grumble to myself in frustration as Rumia slips away right as I pull the trigger on my pistol.

Me and Rumia have been fighting for a minute now. I've come to find that she is as slippery as the shadows themselves. Even when I take time to aim my shots, she is quick to take evasive action and has no trouble slipping out from under my gun. Daiyousei, who casts slower magic projectiles, hasn't been able to get any hits either.

To make matters worse, we are also against the clock now. As the darkness youkai dodges and attacks, she continues to spread darkness over the landscape. Like some kind of magic paint, shadows slither down from Rumia and adhere to the ground. The dark shadows of the trees and grass are growing taller and darker. The sun itself seems to be dimming now too. We are slowly being surrounded by darkness.

I fire off another bullet, but once again Rumia is gone.

_This isn't getting us anywhere. _I think to myself

I look around for some kind of advantageous spot, or some kind of tool I can use, but I can't find anything useful. The only things here are trees and shadows.

"Daiyousei, we need some kind of plan to pin her down." I say to the fairy next to me. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Y-yeah. You're right." Daiyousei replies. "What should we do?"

We need to get close. Somewhere where she won't be able to dodge so easily. Rumia is a natural at these rough landscapes, and has the advantage against an outsider like me.

_I think we need to move._

I scan the trees around us and find a different area where the trees seem a little less dense.

"Daiyousei, let's try to reposition over there. Run on my mark." I state.

"Got it."

I pause for a second to let Rumia get comfortable and try to close in to attack. Soon enough, she does so.

"I got you this time!" She says as she fires a stream of flickering bolts at us.

"Move, now!" I say as I sidestep the bolts and return with a burst of pistol fire.

Rumia, of course, slips away into the shadow of a tree right as I take aim at her. But while she retreats, we start running. I sprint away from her and towards the clearing in the trees; Daiyousei follows right behind.

And so does Rumia.

"Hey! No running away! That's no fair!" Rumia calls to us as she spins around to pursue us.

_She's one to talk!_

"Ah!" Daiyousei shrieks behind me. "She's chasing after us! She's going to hit us from behind!"

_We'll see about that._

I practically skid to a halt as I spin around to fire back at the pursuing Rumia. I fire a shot right as Rumia dodges. She barely manages to escape it.

_Grrr! I missed again. She's good at this!_

I turn back around and resume running. The trees this way quickly become less dense, and I can clearly see that there is a good open space where we can fight from here. This is definitely a good spot. Rumia will have nowhere to dodge here.

But just before we get into the clearing, Rumia reappears right before us. I get a warning from my senses. Just as when I first saw Rumia, I instantly know trouble is coming.

"W-what?" Daiyousei mutters; stunned.

_Crap! She must have swung around through the trees to get ahead of us._

Me and Daiyousei prepare to attack, but before either of us can do anything, she fires another stream of magic right into Daiyousei. She has no chance to dodge.

"Ah!" Shrieking in both pain and surprise, Daiyousei falls backwards and lands hard against a tree. She makes no further movements.

_No! She got her! _"Daiyousei! Daiyousei are you ok?"

She does not respond. She is unconscious. The tree dealt a blow to the back of her head, and knocked her out.

Rumia nods at her work and then turns to me. "Hm! Now that I've got that little pest out of the way, I can finally eat you up!"

_Ugh, she's obsessed. Well, she's not getting away with this. I'll make sure of that!_

Rumia rises up a bit before lunging at me; swooping down from above. I fire a bullet right as she does, but it doesn't stop her. It doesn't even slow her attack.

"Got you!" She says as she grabs hold of me.

Rumia tackles me with a force far greater than a girl of her size should be able to, and I tumble down to the ground with her landing on top. My pistol goes flying out of my hand and out of reach.

Rumia straddles my chest, looking down on me with an evil smile. I never noticed until I got this close, but her teeth look quite sharp. I was beginning to wonder how she could manage to eat a whole human, but with those teeth I'm sure she's at least capable of trying.

I raise my right hand to try and strike, to try and push her off, but Rumia snatches my raised hand.

"Hehehe." She giggles. "Fingers first then!"

Rumia pulls back on my hand, and in spite of my struggling, easily manages to bring my hand to her mouth. Her jaw then unhinges and expands in the most painful-looking way, increasing the size of her mouth enough so that she can fit my entire hand in it.

Then, she stuffs my hand into her mouth and clamps down. Her teeth are as sharp as blades, and they tear at my skin.

"AAAGH!" I howl in pain as I try to pull away from her. She's far stronger than me though, and continues to bite on my hand.

"Mmmm." She coos as she sucks on my bleeding hand.

She turns my hand around in her mouth and begins to gnaw on my fingers and hand. At first, she only lightly bites down and mostly sucks on my skin, but she quickly bites harder and harder as she starts to seriously try to eat my hand off.

_Argh! It hurts! She's going to tear it off! _I mentally scream as I try to break free.

With her on top of me I have no leverage on her other than pulling back, and just pulling only rakes my hand against her teeth. With my other hand I try to pry her mouth open, but to no avail.

So, instead, I try to reach for my knife. Doing so means temporarily surrendering my hand to her, but I'm already losing this struggle. I have no other option.

"Hmhmhm…" Rumia giggles as soon as I let go of her with my free hand. She immediately begins to chew and pull on my hand as hard as she can. I can feel my hand begin to go cold as her teeth sink deep into my flesh.

_Nnngh! Damn it! I'm going to really lose my hand! Come on, hurry!_

My knife sheath landed under her leg, so I have to fight her to get it free, but I manage to wedge it out from under her.

_Got it!_

Blade now in hand I raise back my arm to slash her…

But once again, Rumia grabs my left hand with one of hers; stopping my blade. With my other hand is in her mouth, she only can easily hold onto it.

_What? How?_

Rumia yanks my hand out to talk. Her mouth resets with a snap, and she speaks.

"Ah? You brought something sharp. Thanks! Hahaha! This makes things so much easier!" She says with a maniacal laugh. She's drunk on my blood; crazed by it.

_Ugh! How is this possible? She's so much stronger than me! I can't fight back like this. Come on, think of something!_

I resist and fight as hard as I can, but she easily holds me in place. I am powerless against her.

Despite my resistance, Rumia easily raises my left hand to her mouth and bites on my fingers. The sharp thrill of pain in my hand causes me to release my blade, and she quickly scoops it up.

_No!_

"Say goodnight human…" She says as she raises my great knife over her head to stab me.

_NO!_

My head begins to ache terribly as my senses go off like crazy. I can barely hear myself think through the mental alarm. Death is near. Very near.

But then, my mind goes into overdrive; to survival mode. I begin to run on instinct, and in a split instant I remember something.

That spell I learned. I can still burn her.

_Use it, now! _My instincts tell me.

Right before Rumia brings the blade down on me, I raise my hand and perform the Ember spell Patchouli gave me. An arrow of hot fire shoots out of my hand and burns Rumia in the face.

"Aah!" She shrieks as the flames hit.

_Knife! Get it!_

I quickly snatch the blade out of her loosened grip and slash her across the chest hard. The rapidity and force of my attack knocks her clean off me.

"Kyaa!"

Rumia flops onto the ground now bearing a nasty cut.

_Now the gun._

I instantly spot my gun and roll over to pick it up. I then jump back up and aim it at Rumia, who is still trying to get up. My pistol still chambers five rounds; plenty enough to bring her down.

"GYAAA!" Rumia screams in pain as I pelt her with bullets. She rolls on the ground in pain after the attack, allowing me to continue unhindered.

_Daiyousei._

I replace my gun and knife and spin around towards Daiyousei, who is still collapsed next to the tree behind me. I run to her, pick her up into my arms, and run for the nearby clearing; away from Rumia.

I run as fast as I can into the clearing to get us to safety. As I do, I can feel the rush of fear and adrenaline start to wear off.

_Made it… ugh, my head… _I manage to think normally again.

As I start to calm down, I begin to become weaker and weaker. The pain I had just been ignoring comes back harsher than ever, and I almost immediately collapse from it. I manage to safely drop Daiyousei down before halfway falling over myself.

I look around and realize I'm now in the middle of the clearing with Daiyousei in front of me.

_I… I escaped from Rumia. Whew, that was close. Way too close. _I think to myself. _But I'm safe for now. I need to try and wake up Daiyousei now though. She's still out._

I crawl over to Daiyousei and gently shake her. "Daiyousei. Daiyousei! You need to wake up! Can you hear me? Wake up!"

Thankfully, she doesn't take long to awaken. She looks up at me with a tired stare.

"Ugh… my head hurts."

"Rumia knocked you into a tree and you passed out." I quickly say. "Come on, you need to get up!"

"Ooh…" She moans.

I grab her and pull her up off the forest floor and stand her up on her feet. She's shaky at first, but with my arm around her she manages to regain a sense of balance and soon stands up on her own.

_Good. She's ok-ah! My hand…_

After steadying her, I look down at my hand.

_Ugh. That demon really did a number to my hands._

My right hand is sticky with spit, and covered with deep slashes. My other hand has some cuts on it too, but it's not nearly as bad.

_This is bad. _I think while examining my hand. _It's ripped up pretty bad. It looks like everything is still there, but these cuts… I don't know if I can just bandage these up. I may need a doctor to fix this.  
_

But if I bandage my hand now I won't be able to fight, and Rumia is still out there. I will have to deal with the pain.

"Joseph?" Daiyousei mutters as she begins to regain her sense. "Joseph? What's going… oh my…"

She stops there. I can see she's looking at my bloodied hand wide-eyed.

"Rumia got a hold of me for a minute. It looks like she wasn't kidding. Heh…" I weakly explain. The thought of having almost been eaten still sickens me.

Daiyousei begins to fret and worry. "Oh no! This is terrible! You're bleeding so much! Are you ok? Is it hurting? Here, I have a handkerchief with me. Let me-"

"No, don't bandage my hands." I interrupt. "Rumia is still here. I can't fight if I tie up my hands."

"But you're _bleeding!_" She insists. "You're going to die if you keep pushing yourself. You're only human Joseph!"

"Is that so?"

_Rumia!_

We both look to the edge of the clearing where we came from to find Rumia still there. She stands there at the edge of clearing out of the light.

"Human. You taste good. Heh… hehehe! Such tasty meat!" Rumia chuckles while licking her fingertips clean of blood.

"You're sick!" I reply in disgust.

"You've gone too far Rumia!" Daiyousei shouts. "I'm going to straighten out that bad attitude of yours!"

In response, she draws a spell card out.

_Uh oh. It looks like the real fight is just getting started._

"You're right…" Rumia says with a smile. "I've gone too far. Too far to stop now. Now that I've had a taste, I want the whole thing. I want to eat him all up, and I won't stop until I do!"

She raises the card high up. "Darkness Sign: Dark Side of the Moon!"

Immediately, a storm of darkness erupts from around her and lashes out at us. In an instant, we are enveloped in shadow. My vision is blackened, and everything is darker than night.

_Ugh. It's dark everywhere. I can't see a thing._

"Let's see you get out of this one." Rumia says from somewhere in the dark.

I draw my pistol out and reload it. With weapon in hand, I scan the surrounding black for any sign of movement, but I can't find anything like this.

"H-hey, where did everything go? I can't see anything!" Daiyousei cries out. I can tell she's near, but I can't see her.

"Calm down, I'm right here." I say in her direction. "We'll have to listen for each other. Stay close."

"Take this!"

Out of the darkness, I can see Rumia's attack shining brightly. A scattered wave of magic projectiles head for the both of us.

"Get down!" I say while chaotically throwing myself downward.

Daiyousei shrieks in pain. "Kyaa!"

_Crap! _"Hey, are you ok? Daiyousei? Daiyousei, answer me!"

"I'm ok…" She weakly replies from behind. "I didn't see it coming fast enough. Sorry…"

_Good. She's ok._

"Gonna get you…" I hear Rumia taunt. Her voice is nerve-rackingly close as she says it, but as I spin to face the voice I see nothing.

"Over here…" She taunts again. I spin around and fire blindly at the shadows, but I have no way to confirm a hit.

"Hehehehe! Too slow human!"

I spin around again, but what I see is not darkness, but light. A burning magical orb aimed right at me. I get blasted by magic, dealing me a painful burn on my chest.

I stagger away from the injury. "Ugh…"

"Leave him alone!" Daiyousei shouts as she tries to counter with a beam. The silver laser attack misses the hidden target and sails across the clearing; illuminating the shadows.

_Wait, that's it. Gah, I'm such an idiot! Magic can light the way. I have magical sight I can use! Why do I keep forgetting about these spells I have?_

I replace my pistol at my side; I will not be needing it. Instead, I equip my crystal. With a quick gesture, I cast Intuition on myself, and with the magic of the stone in my hand, its effects are enhanced.

The enhanced Intuition lets me see Daiyousei; both glowing and surrounded by a glowing aura. She's looking around nervously, as she cannot see anything. It doesn't take me too long to spot Rumia's presence either. Rumia is grinning at us as she hides a short distance away.

But she is no longer hidden from me.

_Take this demon!_

I surprise the darkness youkai by casting a spell straight at her through the pitch black dark. The surprise attack hits her dead on.

"Ow! Hot! Hot hot hot!" She screams as flames cling her body. It seems that the powered-up Ember is capable of dealing more damage as well as leaving a lingering flame.

_Now, time to bring you down._

I aim the stone at her and hit her with a shockwave to keep her off balance. I then follow up with another fire blast. Again, I combine my magical attacks to keep pressuring her.

"Ah! It burns! It's so hot!" Rumia cries as she is burned a third time. The burning effect is multiplying on itself, and she is almost completely engulfed in fire now.

She quickly begins to panic and her concentration breaks. The darkness begins to retreat, and the light of day returns. I can clearly see Rumia on fire now, as well as Daiyousei.

"There you are!" Daiyousei exclaims as she spots Rumia. "I'll get you this time. Hiyaaa!"

Daiyousei casts a beam at Rumia. The beam carries her through the air all the way across the clearing and into a tree. There, she stops.

"Got her!" Daiyousei cheers.

_Good. I think we have this now._

Daiyousei follows behind me as I walk over to the fallen Rumia. She is badly injured, and her dress is smoking from my flame attack. I would be surprised if she got up after our combined attack, but I don't think she will. Rumia is clearly defeated now.

Yet, she is still conscious. Rumia looks up at me as I stand over her; first confused, then panicked.

"Ah! W… wa-wa-wait!" Rumia pleads. "I-I didn't mean any of it! It was a joke!"

_Joke? That wasn't a joke._

"I should burn you to ash for what you did to my hand." I threaten while aiming my stone at her. The pain in my right hand is still agonizing; even as I hold the cool blue rock.

"Noooooo!" Rumia whines. "Don't cook me! I'm not for cooking…"

"And I'm not for eating!" I rage at her. "And yet, when I tell you this you try to anyways. So what's to stop me from roasting you? You're a demon, and I'm a demon hunter. You should have known better than to cross me, and now, I'll make you pay for your accursed existence!"

She begins to tear up. "Noooo! I'm shoooorrry! I was jusht hungryyyy! Wahaaaaa!"

Rumia lapses into a fit of sobbing. Now that her fighting spirit has been quelled, she is as she appears: A little misbehaving delinquent girl who just got punished.

_Gah… this is pathetic. What kind of monster could try to eat off someone's hand like this and still behave like such a child? I should just end her._

"Joseph. That's enough." Daiyousei says.

_Huh? _"What do you mean? Shouldn't we do something about her?"

Daiyousei gently pushes me out of the way without saying anything. She kneels down in front of Rumia and speaks in a soft tone.

"Rumia… Rumia, look at me." Daiyousei says to her.

Rumia manages to look up at Daiyousei. As soon as she does, Daiyousei reaches over and flicks Rumia across the forehead.

"Ow…" Rumia sobs.

"There." Daiyousei says. "Now Rumia, I know you're hungry, but this was just too much. You really hurt me. On top of that, you tried to fight with a youkai hunter. You should know better than to pick fights with exterminators and hunters who are more dangerous than you Rumia. If I wasn't here to stop him, Joseph probably would have wiped you out like he was about to."

_WHAT?_

"Daiyousei, you're taking her side? Did you forget that she just tried to kill us?" I demand.

Daiyousei looks back at me with a serious glare. "Yes. I am on her side. In case you forgot, fairies are youkai too. Don't think I'm going to sit by and watch while a fellow youkai gets mistreated by a human. Now hush."

I can hardly believe this. I'm getting back talked for trying to survive. I even saved her!

Daiyousei turns to Rumia once more. "Rumia, I'm going to let you go this time, but the next time you lose to a hunter I may not be around to save you. I hope this is a lessoned learned."

Rumia nods. "O… ok… I'll just eat some berries tonight I guess… I won't try to eat on strong humans anymore."

Daiyousei nods. "Good girl. Now go home and get yourself cleaned up. Don't let me catch you stating any more dangerous fights. You're still young. Don't throw yourself away like this."

"Ok…"

Daiyousei picks Rumia up off the tree. The fairy wipes away the other's tears and, with a light shove, sends Rumia away from us to go home. The darkness youkai slowly walks away from the fight, injured and depressed by her loss. Soon, she is out of sight and gone.

_I can't believe this. She tries to kill us without any remorse and just like that Daiyousei turns around and forgives her!_

Daiyousei sighs. "That girl… She's just getting worse and worse. I really need to keep a closer eye on her."

"Why did you do that?" I say with seething anger. "You let a killer walk away with a forehead flick. Why Daiyousei?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" She asks, somewhat surprised by my anger. "Joseph, she's just a child! She's not even a century yet! She's never had any parents or teachers. She doesn't know any better."

"Doesn't know any better? Doesn't _know any better_? Look at these wounds girl! She tried to bite my hand off! She knocked you clean out! She knows exactly what she's doing!" I shout back.

"Just because she's strong doesn't mean she know right from wrong! Do you expect me to stand by while I watch a human murder a young little girl? That's just as wrong!" She counters; her own anger increasing.

I can barely control my frustration. "That wasn't a little girl! That was a man-eating animal! A wicked demon that needs to be exterminated and you let her-"

"YOUKAI ARE _NOT_ ANIMALS!" Daiyousei suddenly screams in my face. Her loud voice instantly quells my anger.

"We are not animals." She says again while continuing to hover right in my face. "And we aren't wicked either! We're just people. Yeah, some of us prey on humans, but humans hunt youkai just as much. It's just the way things are! If youkai are animals than so are humans!"

"D-Daiyousei…" I stammer, shocked and embarrassed.

She goes on. "I don't care if you're on our team; I won't stand to let a young little girl get exterminated for not knowing any better. And if you're going to look down on us like that then you can just forget about my help!"

I choke. _Nngh!_

We're both silent for a minute.

I think to myself. _Ugh… I can't believe this. Did I go too far? Am I being too harsh? Was I too angry? I feel like I was right but Daiyousei… I trust her too. Am I in the wrong here? Argh! I hate this place! I just don't understand anything here. No matter what I do I can't win…_

I let out a long sigh. _In any case… I think I need to apologize._

"Daiyousei…" I begin. "Look… I'm… I'm sorry. I just… I'm just confused is all. I don't understand Gensokyo at all. This place, all these fights, all these youkai, the Nightcaster, the minions, my…"

I trail off. I want to mention my curse. The charge of Slayer was forced onto me by blood, and I still hate it sometimes.

But I don't say that. I don't want to bring that up. "Look, I'm on edge. I lost my cool there. You're probably right. The fact that we defeated her and survived should be comfort enough for me. I'm sorry Daiyousei."

She stares at me with cold eyes for a minute before she slowly begins to warm back up to me. "It's fine. I understand. Gensokyo is a crazy place, I'll admit. Humans aren't meant to fight it out like you are trying too. You're poor head is probably giving out from all the strangeness. You're probably just stressed."

I nod. "Yeah, stressed. And a little dizzy…"

Daiyousei looks confused before realizing my problem. "Oh no, you're hand. You're still bleeding! We need to bandage this right away!"

_Ah, I must have gotten so worked up I forgot about it. Clumsy fool.  
_

I reach into my pocket and hand her my roll of bandages. "Here, take these. I can't bandage my own hand like this."

She quickly takes them and begins going to work on me. "Ok… hold it still for a minute."

She begins to tie up my hand with the bandages. She's already seen me use them, so she has a general idea as to how to use them, but my injuries are pretty bad.

_This is going to take a minute… _I think to myself.

* * *

The gap closes at my command.

Charity lounges back in her chair with a grin on her face. She begins to chuckle, and after a moment, she throws her head back and laughs aloud.

"Ahahahaha! That was hilarious-ahahaha! Oh… that was too funny! I've never seen him panic as hard as he did when she had a hold of his hand. The look on his face was priceless. It feels good to see that annoying man scared for once."

I sigh. "Indeed. There is no greater fear then that of being devoured. Humans, who often think themselves on top of the food chain, feel it the most."

"But…" I begin to change topics. "Are you not concerned?"

She gives me a curious look. "About him? Nah. He can rot for all I care."

I sigh again.

_Has she missed the point entirely? _"No, not that. I mean the fact that he survived. He has magic now. He has an ally. He is working against you. Are you not concerned?"

Charity turns to me with a grin and presents her Sword of Night again. "Yukari, once this thing is fully powered I'm not going to have a single worry in the world. That man is small game now. I'm in the big leagues! My only concern now is figuring out how to unlock the sword's true power. And once I do… hehehe!"

She looks over her sword. The blade's lettering flickers as she strokes the length of the blade.

"Ah, I'm getting carried away." She says. "I still need to keep feeding the sword. It thrives on chaos, and I intend to deliver."

She stands up and goes to the bookshelf. She pulls the Gensokyo Chronicle and flips through the locations section.

"Hmhmhm… let's see. Garden of the sun? Wow! There's so many flowers in this picture! It's so pretty. I bet the sword would love to feel all that innocence and beauty go up in flames. Yes, definitely! Gonna view some sunflowers. Hehehe!"

I grimace a bit. _Yuuka watches over those flowers. I hope she knows what she is doing._

She flips to another page right after that though. "But first, there was another place. Where is… ah! Here! The Genbu Marsh. All those cute little kappa… hehe… they'll make an excellent meal for the sword! We'll go there first, then we'll go view some flowers."

"Interesting." I reply.

She slams the book shut and replaces it. "Yep yep yep! That's the plan! Gonna poke some turtles and pick some flowers. It'll be great! I think I'll get started on that right now actually."

"I see. Well, be careful out there." I say to her as she makes her way for the door.

"Sure thing." She says with a smile. "Bye Yukari. Talk at ya later!"

She steps out the door with a wave, and is gone.

_Well… she seems to have no worries about that hunter. I suppose I'll let my eye off him for now._

I open a gap to depart, but as soon as I do I am struck with a headache.

_Mmph… My oh my. This head of mine is not well. I don't think I've ever had a migraine this bad before…_

I gently place my hand against my forehead and massage my aching skull. The pain soon subsides.

_Hmm… Perhaps I should request Ran to make some medicine for my head? Hmm… no, maybe not. It's probably just a one-time thing._

I step through the gap and return home.

_I'll have to ask the young Nightcaster about her day when she gets back later. She was… er… going to visit the kappa and then view the sunflowers, right? Yes, that was it. She is such an adventurous young woman. I think I made a good choice bringing her here._

With that aside, I speed through the remainder of the gap to return home. It looks like it will be just another quiet day for us in Gensokyo.

* * *

I flinch in pain. "Ah! Geez Daiyousei. I thought you would know how to do this. You don't stuff bandages into the wound like that."

"Oh, hush!" She snaps. "I have to cover all the wound or it won't heal."

Me and her are sitting in the middle of the clearing; resting in the soft grass.

Again, I flinch as she continues to work. "Ack! Careful there, you're pulling on that cut!"

"It needs to be tight or it won't stay on." She says with a huff. "Now be quiet. I'm almost done."

I bear with her for another minute, and she soon finishes up. My hand is now roughly bandaged up all over. It hurts a lot less, but is pretty inflexible now that it's tied up.

Daiyousei releases my hand. "There. Fixed."

I nod. "Thanks. It still kind of stings, but that's a lot better."

"See? That wasn't so bad." She says with a smile.

I grin a little. "Yeah… I guess not. But you know, you're rather motherly to people you don't know."

She shrugs. "When you're the eldest fairy in your land, you kind of have to get used to taking care of others all the time."

Daiyousei then smiles a bright smile. "Besides, you aren't a stranger to me anymore."

I smile back. _Good to know she isn't angry about earlier._

_And… good to have a real friend out here in this forest._

I look up through the opening in tree canopy and spot the mountain. It's still a ways away.

_We should keep moving. We have a long way to go, and I want to get out of this forest._

"Well, let's get going." I say to my companion. "We still have a lot of walking ahead."

She agrees. "Right. Sure thing."

She waits next to me, waiting for me to lead us.

_Er__…_ "Daiyousei, do you think you can take the lead? My good hand is bandaged up, and if a fight comes you'll need to go first for me. Is that ok?"

"Sure thing. Leave it to me." She confidently says as she flaps her wings and takes off in front of me.

"This way. Come on, hurry up! You aren't going to let a little girl like me outrun a big strong man like you, are you?" She calls back as she zooms far ahead.

_Ah? _"Whoa there! Wait up! I didn't mean run off! Agh, you crazy woman. I'll never understand these people."

I run after Daiyousei as she leads a quick pace through the remainder of the forest. The fight is over, and now we can continue to Youkai Mountain. Hopefully there won't be any more trouble along the way, but if there is I can at least take comfort in knowing that Daiyousei is a real friend I can fall back on. A rare pillar of sanity in this insane world.

The two of us continue to move quickly through the remainder of the forest as we rush towards the mountain in search of the truth to the strange letter from Ran Yakumo.

* * *

A/N... boy I'm tired...

Sorry this took so long. I was trying to write on the worse half of a finals week. But, I finally got it done, and I hope you enjoyed this scene.

Rumia, while a talented killer, is still very much a child. When Joseph and Daiyousei start fighting back, she quickly becomes frightened and backs down. After all, she is still just a little girl on the inside. I wanted to use this short little fight to show how different a Gensokyo resident is from my character outside of combat. While Daiyousei, a fellow youkai, can understand who Rumia really is and sympathizes with ehr, Joseph cannot do so and is unable to get past the 'youkai' personality of Rumia that he sees. Ultimately this ends up causing a fight between the two of them, which in turn ends with Joseph having to stop and question himself again.

And while I meant to do this last chapter, I finally got around to introducing the next action of Charity and the trouble she is bound to cause. This POV is told from Yukari, who is speculated to be under a spell now. A POV shift to her at this point becomes rather strange when considering that, as you begin to wonder if they are in the right state of mind, or if they are really hearing what they think they are hearing. Still, I wanted to include it, as I thought it was about time I built up a bit of suspense about what Charity is planning to do to Gensokyo.

And finally, I've now reached 100000 words! Thank you for keeping up with me everyone! It's great that I've gotten my story this far. I've a ways to go yet, and I hope you all are willing to continue on along with me. Special thanks to those who have reviewed/faved/followed. All of you are a big support to me.

Thank you again. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	21. Chapter 21

**Your goal is near, but first you must survive. There are still worse challenges ahead.**

* * *

Thanks to Daiyousei's quick pace, we move through the remainder of the Forest of Magic quickly. She's slowed down a bit now that we're nearing the end, but she was still able to give me a good run.

Now, me and her walk out of the remainder of the forest. Slowly, the trees begin to fade away, and the light becomes brighter and brighter. The oppressive air of the forest fades, and is replaced by a cool breeze.

_Hm… _I think to myself as I notice the breeze. _I wonder why the leaves haven't changed there. I'm guessing that it is autumn here by the looks of things. I suppose the magic of the forest keeps it green all year. Strange though._

As soon as I get a good enough light, I look up ahead at the mountain. Not too far ahead the ground begins to slope upward and lead to the mountain itself. At this range, the mountain feels huge.

_So that's Youkai Mountain. Hm. The underground world should be nearby then._

As we bypass the last few trees and step into the clear evening light, I take another look at my injured hand.

My stomach turns a little as I look at it. _Oh… this is not good._

The bandages around my hand are soft and reddened. The wounds beneath are still bleeding from before. I try flexing my hand to test it, but I find it numb now.

Daiyousei turns around when I stop following. "Joseph what's-oh! Oh no, you're hand looks terrible!"

"Ugh… I knew it. Cheap bandages aren't enough for cuts this size. This isn't looking good for me." I say with a grimace.

"Well we still need to replace those bandages, or it'll get infected." Daiyousei quickly says.

"I suppose…" I mutter.

"Hey, look over there." She says while pointing. "There's a little stream there. Let's go wash your injuries up and reapply some bandages. Maybe that will help heal it."

_Hm?_

I look to where she's pointing and spot some running water; clear and glistening in the light. It's a quiet little stream, possibly a branch from a river, running away from the mountain and back into the forest. It's not too far away from us.

_Water? Good. I probably should do as Daiyousei said._

We walk over to the water. It takes a second to undo Daiyousei's bandaging, but I soon get them off. The cuts are still clearly there on my hand, and as soon as I take the bandages off, they start to bleed again.

I take my hand and gently splash water over the wounds to clean them. Doing so causes them to hurt.

_Nngh! That stings a little…_

It hurts, but I deal with it and continue cleaning my injuries up. I wash away the dried blood and dirt, and soon have clean and neat cuts on my hand. Just cleaning them up has made my hand look a lot better than it was.

But it doesn't change the fact that these are deep wounds. Blood continues to drip off me and down into the water, casting thin swathes of red through the stream.

_Damn… I didn't think biting would leave wounds this bad._

"Oh dear! Are you alright human?" A sweet voice asks from behind.

_What the?_

I quickly spin around and look at the, not one, but two individuals behind us. One is a tall blonde woman dressed in a red dress that is trimmed with a leaf pattern. The other is a short brown-haired woman dressed in tan and black dress with an apron over the front. The tall one has a leaf in her hair, matching her dress, while the other has a brown cap adorned with berries.

_Who are they?_

Daiyousei stands up to face them. "You're the… Aki sisters… right? Shizuha and Minoriko, right?"

"Indeed we are. I am Shizuha Aki. My sister here is Minoriko Aki." Says the blonde one. She speaks with a low, tired voice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Says the girl named Minoriko. She is cheery and much higher spirited than her sister.

Daiyousei respectfully bows. "Greetings. You honor us with your presence."

"Who are you?" I ask in confusion.

"Joseph, these are gods!" Daiyousei says in hushed tones. "Show respect, and maybe they'll help us."

_Huh? Gods? These girls?_

I've never been a religious person, but I would not doubt there are divine forces just as there are demonic ones. But these girls don't look godly to me. Sure, they're pretty girls, but they look so normal.

But then again, so do youkai.

_Gods huh? I don't know if I should believe that or not, but in any case I should at least show respect to another traveler._

"Good evening ladies." I say as calmly as I can. "I'm sorry you have to see me in such terrible condition. I was attacked in the forest and I lack the supplies to heal myself properly. Do you know of any way to help?"

Daiyousei snaps at me. "Joseph! Just who do you think you are?"

_Whoa! What is she worked up about?_

Minoriko chuckles. "Oh my. To ask for a goddess' help so openly. Hehehe. You're rather bold, aren't you?"

"Foolish perhaps." Shizuha says with a sigh.

_Well, I suppose if she really is a divine being that would come off as strange in the same way you don't as a royal for a personal favor, but I'm wounded here. I'm sure they'll be willing to understand my lack of tact._

"I'm sorry if it's strange, but this is really bad. Can you do anything about these cuts?" I ask again.

Shizuha glances at my hand. "Those cuts are quite severe. If they are not treated soon, you will most likely bleed out and die. Bleeding to death is not the most pleasant way to go either."

Her words make me uneasy. _Agh… That's definitely not good._

She then turns to her sister. "It's your decision Minoriko. Healing is not something I am capable of."

Minoriko looks at me. "Hmm… I don't know. I doubt I can work any miracles on a faithless man."

_What? _"Faithless? What do you mean?"

She ignores me. "But, I think I may be able to restore you with some magic. Come, let me see your hand."

I give her my wounded hand, and she takes it. Clasping my hand in both of hers, she closes her eyes and begins to concentrate.

After a few seconds, my hand begins to feel unusually warm. A strange soft glow begins to envelope my hand. Slowly, the pain in my hand begins to fade, and soon it's gone.

_Ah? My hand feels strange. What's going on?_

Minoriko releases my hand when she's done; instantly ending the spell and its light.

"There. I think I got it." Minoriko says while stepping back a bit. "I'm not a healer, but simple cuts shouldn't be much of a challenge for my magic. Do you feel better human?"

I look at my hand. To my pleasant surprise, the cuts are healed. Aside from a tiny scar on my wrist, everything is good. I clench my hand into a fist, causing the stiff joints to crack.

_Feeling's there. Everything seems solid. I've never seen a magical healing before, but I have to say that's some good stuff._

"Yes, it's fine." I reply to Minoriko. "I think you healed it perfectly. Thank you for that; you did me a huge favor. You probably just saved my life actually. Thank you for helping me. I honestly was beginning to think there was no help all the way out here."

"Yes, well there is a reason they call her 'the god who love's people'." Shizuha says with a depressed sigh.

Minoriko looks back at her. "What do you mean by that sister?"

"I simply mean that I would have been surprised had you acted any differently." Shizuha says. "You are well known as a friend of humans. "

"You could try being a little friendlier too. You'd get more worshipers that way." Minoriko suggests.

She shakes her head. "No. I'm fine with my position. Besides, no human wants to be friends with the goddess of the dying leaves."

"That's a lie and you know it." Minoriko insists. "You're leaves are beautiful. The human's love you."

"I doubt that." Shizuha mutters. "But in any case, it seems we are taking up this human and fairy's time. Perhaps we should depart."

Minoriko turns back to us, looking a little apologetic. "Ah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"No, it's fine." I politely reply. "We're actually going to the underground, and we should get going too. Are there… er… any entrances here?"

"The underground…" Shizuha mutters. "Such a dangerous place. I would not go there if I were you. You will surely meet your end there."

"Shizuha, stop it. Let them have their way." Minoriko shoots back. "And to answer your question, there is."

She points to the distance. I can see a boulder there, but no entrance.

"If you follow this little stream back up to those rocks, you'll find it splits and runs into a cave that will take you there." She explains. "Be careful though. As my sister suggested, it is a dangerous place. Do not wander aimlessly."

_Hm… Alright._

"I know. I wouldn't be going there if I didn't have a good reason." I reply.

Minoriko nods. "Very well. Then you had better get going. The sun will be going down soon."

"Yes. Thank you again." I say.

"I'm happy I was able to help you." Minoriko says with a smile.

"Sorry for the rude introductions earlier." Daiyousei apologizes. "Thank you for helping him."

She chuckles. "Hehe. It's fine, really. I don't mind being approached like that. It's quite alright."

Shizuha turns away. "We should return sister. Come, let us go home for now."

Minoriko begins to walk away. "Right. Goodbye human and fairy. Take care."

Both me and Daiyousei wave goodbye as well. The two continue to walk away; across the valley, and soon are nothing but distant shadows in the evening sun.

I look at my hand again. "Well that was a lucky break."

"You're lucky we didn't get cursed. You can't just address a goddess like that Joseph." Daiyousei scolds.

I look down a bit. "I figured as much. Sorry for the scare."

Daiyousei sighs, annoyed by my thoughtlessness. She then turns and begins to travel up the stream.

"She said this stream went into a cave. That fits perfectly with my map's description. Come on, let's' find it." Daiyousei states.

"Sure."

I follow her, and we continue walk up the hill along the stream.

I take one last look at the two distant goddesses.

_What did she mean by 'faithless'?_

Within a few minutes, we arrive at the rocks Minoriko mentioned. There is a tall standing rock surrounded by a few littler ones. Behind it, the stream is larger until it splits. One end rolls around the rocks and down the hill while the other seems to disappear beneath a round stone.

I can see a small slit beneath the stone. It's sitting on a hole.

"Hold on. Let me move this." I say as I walk past Daiyousei and grab the stone.

I push and shove with all my might. The stone is incredibly heavy, but its ground is loose and I eventually manage to roll the stone off the hole. The rock rolls down the hill a ways before halting. I can clearly see the stream flowing down a slope that leads deep into the ground.

Both of us stand on the edge of the hole, looking down into the underground.

"Well. This is it." I say. "I'll go first."

I grab the edge of the hole and lower myself down into it. I place foot on the slope leading down and find it solid. Another foot… Not so solid.

As soon as I place my whole weight on the rock slope, I begin to slip. The slope is wet from the stream, and is slippery.

"Whoa whoa whoa!"

I lose my grip on the edge of the hole and begin to slide down. I quickly accelerate down the ramp and soon reach the bottom. With a thud, I stumble forward and fall hard onto the ground.

"Joseph! Are you ok?" I hear from far behind.

I look at the slope I just feel off of. From far above, I can still see the light of the surface. The rest is dark.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I call back. "Just lost my balance. Everything's safe down here. Just be careful coming down."

"Ok."

I stand up and rub my back. _Nngh. I landed on something jagged. What is…_

I look down at the spot where I landed and find a skull looking up at me. I quickly get up and step away in shock.

"A skeleton? Did someone die here?" I ask myself.

At that time, Daiyousei flutters down behind me.

"There you are. Good to see you're n-ah! Is that a s-skeleton?"

It seems I landed on a person's long dead body. All that remains of this person are bones. There are still some old tattered clothes on it, a dress, hinting that it might have been a young woman.

"Hmm. It seems this place really is dangerous. What would do this to someone?" I mutter.

"How terrible. This girl probably died alone down here…" Daiyousei says with a sad tone.

Looking at the bones, I notice something in her left hand. At first, I thought it was another bone, but I soon realize it's just a stick. It is wet from being near the stream, but isn't swollen either. One end is split; showing signs of hard use.

_She must have tried using it to fight something off. She was killed by a demon. A shame._

I take the stick. _Well. I suppose I do need some kind of torch._

"Sorry ma'am." I mutter to the skeleton. "I need to borrow this."

I draw my knife and cut off some of her old dress. I crudely wrap it around the broken end to from a torch.

"I'm sure she won't mind…" Daiyousei replies as she sees what I'm doing. "We need the light."

I take my knife and canteen out and prepare to light the torch. I take a quick drink of water from my canteen before using the flint side on it to light the old cloth. It catches quickly, and soon a bright flame illuminates the dark.

"Ooh." Daiyousei coos in awe. "You shot sparks out of your drink. How did you do that?"

"Just a little trick." I say, not really wanting to explain here. "I'll show you later. Come on, let's keep moving. I'll lead."

I lead the way for us, holding the torch forward to light the way. The harsh gold light from the flame shines off the wet cave walls. As we walk, the stream continues with us; flowing in a narrow channel along the wall.

These caves are damp and foreboding. Even with the flame lighting our way, I feel nervous.

"Daiyousei…" I begin to ask. "Why is the underground so dangerous? What makes the youkai down here so bad?"

"This is where the banished youkai go. Those who are too dangerous to live on the surface are sent down here to live in the underground. You can bet we're going to meet some bad people down here." Daiyousei says in a quiet voice.

_Hmm… _"So this is like a prison then?"

"Not exactly." She replies. "There's nothing keeping them here. Gensokyo has few rules or laws. But they are hated and feared. If they attempt to go to the surface they would surely be hunted down and exterminated."

_I guess that makes a bit more sense._

"We'll be going to the underground's main city: the Capital of Former Hell. I've never been, but according to this map that's where the Palace of the Earth Spirits is."

_Capital? _"Like a city?"

"Yeah."

_It's been a while since I've been to the city. I wonder what a city of demons will be like._

_But… _"Why is the city called Former Hell?"

"Because that's what it is." Daiyousei states. "When Hell became crowded and overpopulated, a new one was built further below the current one. Hell became Former Hell, and the Capital of Hell became the Capital of Former Hell. There are still a lot of evil souls and other things left over from the move, and the Former Hell region has attracted a lot unsavory types; including the oni."

_So… this is literally hell we're going to? Gods and hell in the same day. Gensokyo certainly never fails to amaze. A Slayer in hell of all places… heh._

"Joseph, what are you smiling at?" Daiyousei asks.

I shrug. "Nothing. Just thought of something funny is all. Let's keep going. I think I hear something up ahead."

It doesn't take long to identify what that sound is. This narrow cave soon opens into a much grander one. The tiny stream we have been walking alongside rolls off to the side to join a much larger river.

"Would you look at that…" I say as I look down at the river. It's not a rapid, but the flow is fast enough to sweep someone away if they fell in.

"This map says there's a bridge to get to the capital." Daiyousei says. "I bet if we follow this river, we'll find the bridge we need in order to cross."

"No need to bet." I reply. "Look over there."

I point ahead where I see a few lights in the distance. The lights span across the darkness and clear over the river. It's definitely a bridge.

"Come on. Let's keep going." I say.

But as soon as I say that, I am stopped by a deafening crash. Something heavy slams down hard right in front of me.

I stumble backwards "Gah!"

Daiyousei shrieks in surprise. "Aaah!"

I examine the newly fallen object. It's a bucket, large enough to be a tub. It looks to be a plain wood plank bucket; the kind held together with iron hoops. It also seems to have a handle, but it would be impossible to lift this large of a bucket without some kind of system.

"What on earth? A falling bucket?" I ask as I slowly approach the bucket.

"Where did it come from?" Daiyousei asks as well. Neither of us have an answer.

It fell down pretty hard. I wouldn't be surprised if it was full of rocks or dirt. Yet, I can't help but wonder how a bucket got all the way up there. The light from the torch can't even illuminate to the top of this cave. There is no way you could get this thing up there without a machine, yet it doesn't seem to be attached to anything.

As I approach it though, I get a warning from my senses.

_Trouble…_

I carefully set my torch down on the ground and draw out my knife. Ready for whatever may come out at me, I slowly approach the bucket and peer inside.

A girl with greenish hair and a pair of innocent eyes looks up at me as I look down at her.

_Well… I can't say I quite expected that._

"What is it?" Daiyousei asks.

"I think it's-"

The bucket suddenly lurches up, knocking me back a bit. The bucket hovers just above us, its creaky handles are thrust upward as if it is hanging on some invisible chain. The girl inside peers over the edge of her bucket and curiously looks at us.

"A-a youkai?" Daiyousei asks.

The youkai holds her hand up for us to see. In it is a burning red magical flame.

I tense up. "It looks like she's hostile. Get ready Daiyousei!"

I switch my knife for my crossbow and begin turning the crank to pull it back. Daiyousei's hand begins to glow with magic as she prepares to cast.

The youkai hurls her projectile at me; a perfect throw aimed right at my head. I duck down and let it sail over me. The fireball erupts into sparks behind me like a small bomb.

_Crap! She's got some strong magic on her. Is there anyone in Gensokyo who isn't a magic casting expert?_

Daiyousei tries to counter with a few shots of her own, but the bucket suddenly soars upward as if being pulled up and hangs even higher above us. From there, the youkai drops another attack down at us.

I quickly retreat to avoid getting bombarded. Sparks hit my face and chest, but it's only a sting.

"Her aim is good. Be careful." I warn.

While Daiyousei keeps trying to fire up at the attacker, I finish pulling back my crossbow.

_Plain broad heads should be able to split that wood. I don't want to waste my specialty round anyways._

I load a bolt and take aim upward at the youkai. I can't hit her body from way down here, but using the scope I easily land a shot on her bucket. The wood makes a loud crack as the bolt sinks into it.

"Wah!" The girl shrieks as her bucket sways precariously from the power of the shot.

She soon regains control of her bucket and rises up even higher. Soon, she disappears into the dark above; out of the range of my torch.

Daiyousei peers up at the darkness ahead. "Where did she go?"

"Can you follow her up there?" I ask.

"No way. It's too dark." She says. "I can't fight up there."

I sigh in agitation. "Ugh. Well what do we-"

Suddenly, she comes back down. Fast. She's falling right down on me.

I step back and manage to avoid the attack at the last second. Had I been any slower, I would have been crushed, but I thankfully escape. The girl lands with a loud crash right in front of me.

_Whoa… _

The girl peers over the edge of her bucket slowly. As soon as she spots me she yelps and ducks back down into the bucket. The bucket rises back up above us, and the youkai resumes hailing magic down on us faster and harder than before.

"Keep moving Daiyousei. Don't get hit." I say while stepping away from an attack.

"Don't worry about me. I can fly. You keep yourself safe." She replies.

After dodging another attack, I load my crossbow and fire on the bucket again as I attempt to break it apart. Daiyousei immediately follows up with a burst of shots that land successfully.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" The girl wails as the bucket rocks preciously back and forth through the air. Soon, she rises up and retreats back into the darkness above.

_You aren't getting away from me this time._

I cast Intuition and glance up at the roof. I look for some distant glow, but can't seem to find anything.

_Is she not there?_

"Huh? Joseph! Joseph look out!" My friend warns.

I look around for the enemy, but I find her too late.

The youkai comes swinging in low out of the distant darkness like flail. Riding her bucket, she flies into me with full force and sweeps me up off my feet. The attack carries me into the cave wall where we both crash.

Her bucket digs into my chest; crushing me. I can practically hear my ribs creak in complaint.

"U…Ugh…"

The bucket slowly slides off me and lands in front of me. I stagger off to the side a bit, bruised and winded.

I manage to catch myself before I collapse and face the youkai. She looks at me with an angered glare. She certainly isn't happy that we've been fighting back.

I match that glare of hers.

_Come on, demon._

I cast Ember at her. The bucket is wet and doesn't catch, but it still leaves a smoking black mark on one of the planks.

In response, she rises back up and slams straight back down at me in an attempt to crush me. I manage to dodge away before I get hit, and I counter with another Ember.

But suddenly, I hear a loud crack. Daiyousei, who is behind the youkai, casts a beam at her bucket. The beam strikes one of the boards and snaps the top part of it clean off.

"M-my bucket!" The youkai cries as she watches the wood chunk ricochet off into the river.

_So this thing can break after all. Ha!_

"Just like that Daiyousei!" I compliment.

The bucket lurches back into the air to get away from us, but it can't escape our attacks. Daiyousei leads an attack with a laser that breaks another large piece of wood off. I load another bolt and shoot it after her. The shock from my bolt causes one of the old boards to snap in half between the two rings.

The youkai returns with a hail of projectiles. She casts magic down at us, but Daiyousei nimbly slips through and I quickly retreat.

I reload another bolt and fire. My shot causes another deep crack in the wood, and Daiyousei's follow up shots split the board completely.

We deal a few more attacks to the mysterious bucket wielding youkai before she begins to show signs of weakness. Slowly, the bucket above us begins to descend. It shakes and wobbles as if trying to stay up, but unable to do so.

"Come on old friend…" The youkai says. "You can take this! I know you can!"

_Almost done. _"Come on Daiyousei, let's finish this."

"Right."

Daiyousei proceeds to fire magic rapidly at the bucket. Woodchips fall like rain as her attacks shred the old wooden bucket. I manage a few more bolts that further damage the youkai's bucket.

Then, the bucket comes crashing down.

Unable to stay in the air, the bucket suddenly falls with the girl inside screaming all the way. It lands roughly on its side. Several of the boards violently shatter and fly away, and one of the rings snaps clean off. The girl inside is tossed out in front of us and falls down to the ground.

The bucket slowly begins to roll towards the nearby water. The youkai attacker quickly hops back up and runs over to it.

"Nonononono! Don't go old friend! I can fix you! Don't give up yet!" She calls out as she runs over to the bucket to try and grab it.

She is too late though. The bucket escapes her before she can grab a hold of it, and it falls into the water. The broken wood bucket awkwardly floats on the river for a minute before a current slams it into the cave wall. The bucket shatters completely, and is reduced to nothing but broken wood.

The youkai is silent for a minute before she snaps. She pulls at her hair and screams out in utter despair.

"AAAAAH! NOOOOO!"

_Well… I guess that's it then. _I think while returning my weapon to my back.

The youkai spins around to us. "What have you _DONE? _You destroyed it! My old friend! My dearest bucket! Gone! Why? Why would you do this to me?"

I can clearly see the youkai girl now. She is young and short, dressed in a plain white robe with a sash. Her greenish-blue hair is tied into two short pigtails. She looks up at me with teary eyes; both angry and heart-broken.

Daiyousei steps towards her. "You shouldn't have attacked us. We were only defending ourselves."

"But you destroyed it!" The girl screams back. "How could you destroy my bucket like that?"

"How else were we supposed to stop you with your flying around?" I groan as I walk over to the torch still on the ground. "If you didn't want to lose it then you shouldn't have fought with it."

"B-but my bucket…" The girl stammers. "Without it, I'm nothing! I'm nothing…"

The girl slumps down and balls up. Daiyousei, feeling bad now, walks up to her and begins to gently pet her.

"There there…" Daiyousei whispers. "Don't worry. You're still ok. You aren't hurt are you?"

"No…" Comes the youkai's muffled voice.

"See? It's not all bad then." Daiyousei reassures.

The girl looks up and snaps back at her. "What kind of tsurube-otoshi doesn't have a bucket to drop in?"

She buries her head again. "I'm a failure of a youkai…"

"Um… there there." Daiyousei replies. She looks up at me for some kind of help.

"Er…"

_I would say leave her to deal with it. If she isn't injured, then she could probably find another eventually. But I doubt this girl is going to let me leave this youkai in despair like this this. And… I do feel kind of bad actually. I've never made a girl as upset as I just did. I feel like I should apologize or something._

Daiyousei wants me to come up with something to cheer the despairing youkai up. So, I say the only thing I can think of.

"Well, we are going to a city. Maybe… we can take her with us? I'm sure it would be effortless to find a-gah!"

I am cut off by a sharp grab. The youkai suddenly jumps up and grabs my jacket.

"P-please sir. It would mean everything to me. I would do anything to get back into a bucket! As a tsurube-otoshi, I need it more than anything! It's my position! It's who I am!" She begs.

_Geez, this girl is obsessed with buckets! Still, I did say it so I can't exactly turn her down._

"Daiyousei, do you think it's okay if we take to the city? It's the only solution I can think of to her problem." I ask her.

Daiyousei nods. "I think it's a splendid idea!"

I sigh. _I can't believe things turned out like this. Are we really dragging this girl with us now?_

The girl hugs my leg. "T-thank you. I'm sorry for attacking you human. I was just trying to scare you for fun. I didn't think you'd fight so hard. I didn't mean anything by it. P-please, give me back my bucket."

_I guess I am… _

I gently pry her off me. "Stand up straight girl. I don't need you dragging me down. If you're going to follow me then you need to behave."

"Ok." The girl replies as she steps back. "My name's Kisume. I roam these caves preying on humans. You're one of the tougher ones I met though. It's been so long since I've encountered anyone really strong."

"I don't get around being weak…" I reply. "In any case, it's a nice to meet you proper. I'm Joseph Mateba, and this fairy here is Daiyousei."

"Hello." Daiyousei says with a smile.

"Hi…" Kisume shyly replies. She's not too confident outside her bucket.

I check the torch, and despite the fight the cloth is still burning strong.

I turn to face the distant lights of the bridge. "Alright, we should get moving Daiyousei. Kisume, can you keep up?"

"Yeah." She quietly replies.

"Ok then. Let's go." I say as I begin to lead.

Daiyousei lingers close to Kisume to comfort her, and the two of them follow behind me. Using the still it torch, I continue to lead us forward into the dark cave.

_I can't believe I'm taking in a demon that just attacked me. But… she really is just too pitiful to leave alone after that. I don't think it will be a problem to bring her to the city to find a bucket of some sort. It's not like the city's far away, or that buckets are exceptionally rare.  
_

With the small light of the torch, I lead the way through the dark of the caves towards the distant lights. Daiyousei remains close behind, and the recently encountered Kisume remains in tow. After giving us a surprise fight we've defeated Kisume, but are now taking her with us to the city to find the tsurube-otoshi a bucket.

Thinking back on it, I've never been especially merciful to demons in the past, but it feels good to not be a killer for once.

But I am still wary that there will be more trouble ahead. This place we are going, Former Hell, will undoubtedly present a few more challenges before we finally reach our destination.

But I will not back down this far. Whatever secret this Ran person has for us, whatever she knows about the Nightcaster, I intend to learn them.

Not even Hell will stop me.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter. I had quite a hard time writing this one, and I went through several changes and ideas. I hope this end result is enjoyable.

We're adding Kisume to the group for now, another small midboss character. Kisume, now that she is forced out of her bucket, is much like a shut-in being forced out of their comfort zone. She is shy and easily upset by little things. I let her have a bit of dependence on some kind of bucket to be in, as that is her most distinguishing feature as a tsurube-otoshi. It's sort of a pride/comfort/confidence crutch for her, and without it she isn't really herself. I thought introducing her through a fight would be enough hint about what kind of person she actually is though.

I also gave the Aki sisters a brief mention. In another story I wrote, I sort of reversed their roles a bit, but here I played them straight, trying to be closer to canon. Shizuha is a depressed older sister who sees the worst in everything, and Minoriko is a cheerful younger sister who can't be brought down. Even though the two are perfect foils to each other, they both respect each other's roles in fall and get along well. Seeing as Minoriko is a god, I don't think it completely out of the question for her to be naturally skilled at most magic in addition to her powers as a god. Her using healing on Joseph isn't really important to this story arc, but I felt it was a good way to introduce the Aki sisters for later.

Thank you again for reading my story. I'll have the next chapter ready soon.


	22. Chapter 22

**Jealousy isn't green. It's red with blood.**

* * *

The torch in my hand lights the way for us as we continue onwards towards the distant bridge.

At first, I only see the lights, but I soon discover them to be lanterns hanging off the side of the bridge to light it. The lights aren't very bright, but as I get closer I can make out the outline of a bridge.

It's an old wood bridge. Large red guard rails sit on either side and are adorned with lanterns that cast flickering light across the dark brown wood. The bridge seems a lot longer than I thought it would be now that I'm right in front of it.

Far beyond the bridge on the other side I can see another dim light. I can only assume that it's the city we're looking for.

_Hm… _"Looks like that map of yours was good after all."

"The fairy who gave it to me said it was the fastest way into the underground, and safer than trying to go through the blowhole." Daiyousei replies. "Looks like she was spot on. This took no time at all."

_Save for a little distraction._ I think while looking back at Kisume. She averts her eyes from mine.

I start towards the bridge. "Well, come on. This torch isn't going to last forever."

Daiyousei follows behind me as I step up the rock path towards the bridge.

"Umm…"

Kisume seems to be hesitating. I stop and turn towards her.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Are you feeling ok?" Daiyousei asks after me.

Kisume seems to ponder for a minute before shaking her head. "It's nothing. The city is right after this bridge. We're almost there."

_Strange youkai. Daiyousei's nice, but this girl is a little odd. Are all youkai like this up close?_

I shrug. "All right. Keep up then."

She follows behind us as we step up onto the bridge and begin to walk across. The wood creaks slightly as we begin to walk across.

As we walk, I try asking our guest a few questions.

"Do you know anything about the city?" I ask Kisume. "I've never been."

"I… er… I've only been a few times. It's really busy all the time. There are all kinds of things that you can't get on the surface. Even humans have been known to risk coming down here for things." She replies.

"Things like what?" I ask.

"Probably oni crafting." Daiyousei guesses.

Kisume nods. "Yeah… that's one. Oni built things are really strong, so they're pretty popular. Hell's metal workers are also really popular for warriors and hunters. There are also magicians and evil spirits who sell magical goods that surface youkai won't even consider selling. The old capital is the kind of place you can go to get anything. "

_Ah, that doesn't sound so bad. _"Sounds like a decent place actually. I figured a city that was once in hell would be darker or more sinful, but it sounds like some people are trying to do some honest business there."

"Honest?" Kisume asks in apparent confusion.

_Er… _"Never mind. I'll have to look around once we get there."

"For a bucket for me, right?" Kisume innocently asks.

_Ah, I suppose I said I would do that too. _"Right. Of course. It shouldn't be hard to find one. Why is a bucket so important to you though?"

"I'm a tsurube-otoshi." She quietly replies, saying nothing more.

_I guess I don't understand the history behind this type of demon, but it seems a bucket or some kind of thing to hide in is important to their being. Although Kisume seems to be just fine; just unnerved. _

"Don't worry Kisume we'll take care of you." Daiyousei reassures. "We're sorry about your bucket getting broken."

Kisume manages a small smile. "Ok. I'm sorry for attacking you too. You two are actually… kind of nice. I'm not used to seeing nice surface dwellers."

_Probably because most come down here with the mindset that this place is full of only evil demons. I can't say I would blame them though. Kisume herself did attack on sight, even if it was just a cruel prank of hers._

Daiyousei giggles a little. "Hehe. I'm happy we're leaving a good impression then!"

_Maybe not me so much, but definitely her. I still feel awkward traveling with what should be my enemies._

_No, no. I know why I am. It's for her. Nightcaster. Just wait till you meet me in battle again you witch. I'm ready for you, and I've got all the help I could possibly want to help me bring you down. Just you wait Charity…_

My thoughts are soon interrupted though. We're about halfway across the bridge when I see someone. At a distance, I almost didn't notice her as she is off to the side of the bridge, but now that I'm closer she comes off as pretty hard to miss.

She's a blonde young woman with a brown shirt, blue skirt, and pink arm socks and scarf; an odd mix of colors. She's looking over the edge at the darkness below; muttering and cursing at herself.

_I wonder who she is. A traveler? She seems upset._

Curious, I begin to walk over towards her when Kisume suddenly grabs a hold of me.

"Ah! No! You really don't want to do that." Kisume quickly warns.

_Huh?_ "What do you-"

I am cut off by a warning from my Slayer's sense. Kisume's warning may have some merit.

"Do what?" The girl over by the railing says without looking back. "Talk with me? Of course not. No one ever wants to do that. No one ever talks with me. They're too busy with their friends. Their wonderful lives. Despicable people. Horrible. Jealous. Vile…"

She trails off and resumes muttering curses to herself again.

"I think you're right, we'd better go." I whisper back to Kisume.

Daiyousei seems hesitant. "But she just said she has no one to talk to here. We could at least say hello."

I sigh. "Look, Daiyousei you're a good girl and I know you just want to help, but this really is a bad idea. Let's go."

She looks at me for a minute. Slowly, she steps back from me.

"No." Daiyousei firmly states. "You're wrong. You just don't want to get involved. I know you Joseph. If you're going to be a heartless hunter then _I'm _going to go over there and be the good friend she needs."

She whirls away and flutters over to the woman on the bridge.

"Daiyousei you fool…" I grumble as I follow after her. I already know that whatever danger this woman poses, Daiyousei just triggered it. This will only end in pain.

Kisume hesitates to follow me. She knows this is bad.

"You should probably go on ahead if you don't want to get caught up in this." I say to her. "Here, can you use this?"

I hand her my torch so she can navigate the remaining darkness between here and the city.

Slowly, she takes it. "Um-"

"We're going to be a minute. You can find a bucket on your own, can't you? Just go into the city and ask someone where you can get one and if you can borrow it. You should go on ahead and start looking." I urge.

She hesitates another moment before nodding. "Right. Thank you for your help."

With that, Kisume spins around and runs off to the distant city. The light from the torch I gave her slowly fades away, and soon she is gone.

_Good luck in there._

I turn back to Daiyousei and the woman she is now with.

Daiyousei stands at her side. "My name's Daiyousei. It's nice to meet you!"

The woman scoffs at her. "Daiyousei… such a pretty name you have. Just hearing it makes me jealous of you."

"Ummm… well, what's your name?" She replies.

The woman is silent.

"You can tell me your name, can't you?" Daiyousei insists.

"Parsee."

Daiyousei smiles. "Hehe! You have such a pretty name too! I like Parsee."

The woman, Parsee, scoffs at her again. "Such generous nature. I'm so jealous."

"Th-there's no need to be jealous of me." She replies. "I'm just a lake fairy. I don't have any special powers or nice things like I bet you do."

Parsee sighs. "You have the surface. The sun. A beautiful lake. I have… a bridge."

Daiyousei looks around at the bridge, pretending not to notice me standing back.

"It's a nice bridge!" Daiyousei cheerfully states.

"I hate it." Parsee coldly replies.

Daiyousei takes a step back. "Oh…"

Parsee glances at Daiyousei. "But, since you are so keen on talking with a wretch like me, would you perhaps like to know why?"

Daiyousei nods, eager to sympathize. "Ok. What is so bad about this bridge?"

Parsee turns back to the edge of the bridge and stares back into the darkness.

"Most humans don't like to think of it, but many youkai were human once. I was. A young blonde woman with little dreams and an easy life. I had a love too. A young hunter. Tall, dark haired, intense eyes that pulled you in. I still remember the sunsets we used to watch. We'd watch them on a little bridge that spanned a small creek. We'd always meet there. A rickety little bridge under an old blossom tree outside of the village."

She sighs before continuing. "Then he stopped coming. One day when we planned to meet at the bridge, and he didn't come. Thinking I just mistook our meeting date, I went home and came back the next day to wait. Still, he didn't come. The rest of the village was worried, and search parties went out. Still, all the while, I kept going to the bridge in case he showed up. Every day, I'd wait for him."

Parsee looks down. "He never came again. The search parties soon stopped, but I never gave up on him. Not even after I was told a youkai he was hunting killed him weeks later. I just couldn't leave that bridge alone. I couldn't believe that he wasn't coming anymore. I started going there earlier, and coming back later. One day, I stopped going home altogether; I couldn't anymore. I still remember that first night I spent shivering in my dress as I slept on a rock under the bridge."

Daiyousei gasps. "That's… terrible."

"It only got worse though." Parsee says with a grimace. "As I waited, other couples went across the bridge to view the scene and enjoy each other's company. At first, I felt sad. Then angry. And then… jealous. Each time someone passed my bridge, I felt more and more jealousy towards their happiness. I started to rage at those who passed me by. I would sometimes hide under the bridge and come up behind couples and threaten them."

"Heh. I got good at it too." Parsee says with a weak chuckle. "I began to be able to… control people. At first, I thought it was just my words having an affect but I soon realized it was more than that. I could enrage people, making them jealous like I was, and I took great pleasure in doing so. I would tear couples apart, turn friends against one another. Seeing it never stopped my jealousy, but it was more fulfilling than anything I'd ever done in my life."

"I didn't realize it then, but I was becoming a youkai. I was eating and sleeping less, and started depending more on jealousy. I started becoming stronger, and my powers started to grow. I started to gain magic and abilities no human would ever have. I was transforming into a monster. Perhaps… if someone had tried to save me I would have made it. If someone tried to take me to a priestess to purify me; to help me move on. If someone had _cared _then maybe I would have been able to live out the rest of my life as a hapless little human girl."

Parsee's hands tremble with anger as she continues. "No one cared though. I became a full-fledged youkai with the power of jealousy. People started to fear me, and with good reason. I would lash out at everyone, filling them with jealousy and driving them mad. One day though, I got carried away. I accidentally killed a human. I was so angry at that pretty wife he had that I just…"

She sighs. "I got carried away, and I killed him. Of course, this didn't go well with the village. Afraid of a strong youkai so close to the village, they sent hunters after me. Unfortunately for them, they weren't able to beat me anymore than that husband was. As I killed more and more humans who came to my bridge I became more feared and despised."

"Eventually it became too much though. One night, a woman named Yukari Yakumo came to me saying I didn't belong here anymore, and before I knew what was going on I was taken away from the surface. She put me in the underground saying I was too dangerous to live on the surface now. She took me to this bridge to live and left me here. At first, I didn't know what to do. I had never been so scared and confused in my life. But not long after I was approached by those satori sisters. They asked me if I wanted to be a guard for the bridge and the underworld. I had no direction in life anymore, so I accepted. And here I am." She concludes.

Parsee looks down. "I wish I never agreed to that. I hate this place. All this bridge does is remind me of the surface and my old life. And all these happy people going to and fro just make me jealous."

She glares at Daiyousei. "Just like you do. You come to me trying to be friendly and nice, but all your pity does is make it worse. All you do is make me more jealous. You annoy me."

Daiyousei steps away, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She slowly pulls herself away from the bridge and faces Daiyousei. "No… you do more than that. You're much worse than annoyance. You and your boyfriend over there. Do youkai and humans get along so well now? I bet you two make a lovely couple…"

Parsee slowly looks towards me. I've been silent and ready for whatever move she might make, and now it seems after her ranting she is ready to do something.

"W-w-what? Me and Joseph? Nononono. We're just friends Parsee." Daiyousei explains in a rush.

She does not listen. She starts to approach me with fire in her eyes. Pale green eyes like a jealous monster.

"Parsee? Um… Parsee where are you going? Parsee?" Daiyousei calls out to her as she follows behind.

"Daiyousei, I don't think she's in a reasonable mood anymore." I reply.

Parsee nears me. I place my hand on my knife and ready myself to slash at her should she attack. But before I can draw it out, she lunges at me and closes the remaining distance with her demonic speed.

Parsee grabs me by the throat and begins to strangle me. Using her strength, she lifts me up off the ground.

She stares at me with burning green eyes. "This bridge of mine, the bridge to the underworld. It's called the Bridge People No Longer Cross for a reason. It's not that nobody tries to cross anymore though. It's that no one who does lives to say they did."

I gasp for air. "Ack… Nngh! Gah!"

Daiyousei pulls against Parsee. "Stop it Parsee! Stop it!"

She does not stop. "Intense eyes… dark hair… tall… young… You're just like him. Especially the eyes. Cold, calculating eyes of a seasoned youkai hunter. Eyes I used to love… I hate you… I hate you I hate you I hate you! Why won't this damned past of mine leave me alone? I hate you so much! Argh! You make me so jealous! Just die!"

"Parsee! Please!" Daiyousei begs, still not wanting to attack her.

She starts to choke me harder. "Die! Die! Die! Die die die die! DIE!"

Even though she's crushing me, I keep fighting back. I pry at her hands and resist her grip, and I manage to keep breathing.

Daiyousei keeps trying to pull her away. "This isn't his fault! We're just friends! Please, let him go! Parsee, don't do this!"

But then, surprisingly, she does start to let up. She sets me back down and stops trying to suffocate me. She keeps her hands around my throat though, and continues to look at me with fury.

She leans towards me and whispers menacingly. "That's right… I haven't eaten in a few days. So, I will feed on your friend's jealous heart. And then I will watch you suffer as you have to kill her yourself. And once you're alone, I'm going to take great pleasure in ripping you limb from limb."

"Just… try… demon!" I threaten back, gasping for air.

With that, Parsee tosses me aside with all her strength. I sail away a short distance before landing on the bridge ground and rolling away a bit.

"Joseph!" Daiyousei calls as she breaks away and rushes towards me.

Or at least tries to. As soon as Daiyousei tries to make a move, Parsee whirls towards her and grabs her. Channeling a wicked green flame from her other hand, she engulfs Daiyousei in a pillar of magic fire.

"No! Daiyousei!" I call to my burning friend.

But to my surprise, the flames stop and Daiyousei looks unharmed.

At least until I can see her clearly. When Daiyousei looks up at me, her eyes are no longer a bright shining gold like she used to have, but now a dull green like Parsee's

_No… Don't tell me she's under her spell now._

Daiyousei staggers towards me, swaying drunkenly. "J… jealous…"

I stand up and draw out my pistol.

I slowly approach Daiyousei. "Hey. Daiyousei? Daiyousei, stop moving towards me like that. If you can hear me, stop."

She continues to sway towards me like a zombie. "Uhh… my head hurts… I feel so jealous…"

_No. Come on, wake up! _"Daiyousei? Can you hear me? You're under a spell. You need to wake up. Can you hear me in there? Wake up!"

Then, suddenly, Daiyousei lunges at me. Using her wings, she quickly soars towards me and tackles me onto the ground.

I land hard. "Gah!"

Daiyousei kneels on top of me. She grabs my collar, pulls me up to her face, and proceeds to scream at me.

"You _disgust _me! Why did I have to be incarnated as a fairy of all things? I'm so weak and useless. I want to be powerful and protect my friends. Instead, I get stuck alongside you like I'm a sidekick or something! I've never felt so humiliated before! Do you have any idea of how jealous I am?"

_What the? _"Daiyousei this isn't like you at all! Can you even hear yourself?"

She keeps yelling at me. "I bet I'm just a servant in your eyes aren't I? I can see the way you look down on youkai. It must be nice to be a higher class of being, isn't it? Grrr, I'm so jealous! I hate you!"

_I need to do something before she gets violent.  
_

She's still pretty light, so I easily flip her off me. I quickly roll over and land on top of her instead. I place my knee on her chest and my gun onto her head.

She just looks at me defiantly.

"Go ahead; pull that trigger like you always do. You don't care about me anyways. It must be nice to be a loner." Daiyousei taunts.

_No. I'm not doing that. There's no way I came all the way out here with you just to shoot you. No way!_

"Daiyousei, you need to fight it!" I shout.

"What do you care? Ugh, I'm so jealous of you." She growls back.

I just repeat myself. "I said fight it Daiyousei! Fight it!"

As I say that, her struggling lessens a bit. Tears begin to form on her eyes, and she manages to talk normally.

"I… I… C… C-can't!" Daiyousei stammers. "He… lp me… I-I-I'm… S-s-s… Scared!"

"Don't worry Daiyousei I'm right here." I reassure. "But you need to keep fighting. Resist this spell!"

But without warning Daiyousei snaps back to being under control, and attacks me. "Drop dead human!"

She raises a hand and fires a bolt into my chest. The pain sends me stumbling off her and onto my back. Daiyousei hops back onto me.

"I'm so jealous I could kill you…" She spits. "I hate you and everything about you Joseph. I wish I'd never met you!"

Over on the railing, I can see Parsee grinning evilly at me.

"There's no escape." She says "Her heart is like mine now. Do you understand how I feel? Can you see my jealousy in your friend's eyes? She's a hopeless wretch like me now. You may as well just put her out of her misery. It's not like fairy's die permanently anyways. Hehehaha!"

_No… I'm not hurting her! I'll hurt you instead!_

From my fallen position, I try to fire at Parsee, but Daiyousei bumps my arm and throws off my shots. Parsee doesn't even move; just keeps sitting there and watching.

Parsee calmly gets up as a bullet whizzes past her. "Hmph. Defiant to the end. Fine. If you don't want to kill her then I'll just kill you both together."

Parsee walks over to me. I try to raise my pistol to shoot her, but Daiyousei's fighting is keeping my arm pinned down.

Green fire burns madly in her hands. She aims a hand down at me, ready to burn me and Daiyousei away with her magic.

"Any last words?" She demands.

_Grr! Damn it! Come on! Get up! _

But as I struggle, something catches my eye. _Wait, what's that?_

Parsee is oblivious as something solid comes flying in from high above, right down on her.

"Nothing? Fine then. Goodbye, huma-Aaah!" She says before being cut off by the object.

With a loud slam, the object lands on her. It's…

_A bucket?_

Kisume peers up over the edge of a new bucket. It's an old fashioned wood bucket just like her previous one, though not quite as large.

"Yo!" She casually says while she parks her bucket atop Parsee.

"You… came back?" I ask in confusion.

She shrugs. "Like I said, you two seem like good people, even if you're surface dwellers. I was afraid you were going to get into trouble with this hag, so I came straight back to see if you were alright. Good thing I showed up eh?"

I nod. "Yeah. Thanks for that."

Daiyousei moans in pain. "Ugh…"

_Wait, she's not attacking me! It seems like breaking Parsee's concentration interrupted the spell._

I quickly pick Daiyousei up off me and set her on the ground next to me. "Daiyousei, are you ok?"

She slowly looks up at me; still dazed somewhat. As soon as she recognizes me she jumps at me and hugs me tight.

_Ah?_

"I'm sorry Joseph. I didn't mean any of it! I'm so sorry!" Daiyousei sobs.

"It's fine." I quietly reply. "You didn't mean any of it; like you said. Now, you've got to get up. This is no time for tears."

She lets go and wipes away her tears. "Right. Thank you."

We both stand up and turn towards Kisume, who is whistling to herself while Parsee squirms to get free from beneath her.

"Kisume? You came back to help." Daiyousei says with a smile, still sounding a little shaky.

She smiles back. "Yep! Got me a new bucket. Oni made. Perfect size for little ol' me too!"

_Well, she's quite different now. It seems like she's got her confidence back._

But then, an explosion of greenish magic erupts from Parsee, knocking Kisume back into the air.

"Whoa! Watch it lady!" Kisume yells as she hovers away from the impact.

Slowly, Parsee rises up. Magic drips off her entire frame like an oozing green poison.

"I'll kill you…" She mutters. "I'll drown you in my jealousy. I'll blow you away. I'll rip you apart. None of you walking off this bridge alive! I'll kill you! I'll kill all three of you!"

_It looks like she's ready to fight. So be it then. I'll gladly punish this demon for what she did to Daiyousei._

I reload my pistol and take aim. "Enough is enough Parsee. You're insane, and I'm ending you right now."

"I tried to be nice to you." Daiyousei says with tears still in her eyes. "But you went and stabbed me in the back! I'm never forgiving you!"

Kisume gives a little chuckle. "Ehehehe. She got you two worked up pretty good, did she? She's good at that. We'll have a good bit of fun then!"

Parsee radiates an aura of power as she raises her hand to aim her twisted magic.

"I'll show you the power of a youkai that should have been sealed away long ago!" She screams in both rage and jealousy.

_Come on then, wretched demon!_

I've never been so infuriated by a demon in my entire life. Only Charity has pushed me this close to the brink of blind fury. To use such underhanded tactics, to manipulate one's friends to satisfy their own black heart, to have such cruel intentions and killing intent.

I cannot forgive this. I've been hesitant to the other residents of Gensokyo, but this woman is truly twisted. I have no intention of holding back against her in the slightest.

With gun and allies ready, I raise my pistol and let off the first attack. It's three on one. A demon slayer, a fairy, and a strange bucket-dwelling youkai against a powerful jealously-driven bridge guardian. It's sure to be one challenging fight, even with the odds stacked in my favor.

And with my first attack, the fight begins.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this one. I had a lot of fun writing it.

I wanted to try and have a little fun with a detailed backstory with Parsee and interpretation of past/non-canonical events. I hope this didn't come off as too silly or boring. I wanted to try and show how it might feel to become a youkai, and the horrors and emotions one might have to experience to do so. I tried to make her story a bit tragic and I tried to keep with the mythology of the bridge princess youkai intact. But in spite of a sad past, it doesn't change the fact that Parsee is quite the monster. In this story, even when calm ('girl' state) she is an unpleasant person who rants and complains to anyone willing to listen, and no kindness can get through the thick shell of jealousy over her heart. If provoked ('youkai' state) she becomes a sadist who enjoys tormenting people with her powers and inflicting the pains of her heart upon her enemies.

Kisume also sort of makes a brief comback near the end, and we'll see her real self a bit more in the next chapter. She shows two very different personalities here: Her weak one after her defeat, and her normal one that she just got back after regaining her bucket. Kisume doesn't really have a whole lot of dialogue, save for in Symposium of Post-Mysticism where she throws a skeleton at some kids near a well while taunting them. It's not a lot to go on, but with that in mind I've tried to imagine what kind of person she may be. In this story, while she may appear cute and shy in her bucket, Kisume is a rather vicious youkai. To the few friends she has, she is sarcastic and a sly joker who never really has any worries outside of her own. As a youkai, she doesn't care for direct confrontations despite being magically adept, and instead relies on cheap shots and surprise attacks to torment her victims; although she will assert herself if push comes to shove.

There's a fight scene with a rather angry Parsee to come and then that's going to conclude the journey to the underground events. I had a lot of fun with these characters, but it's time I got back to moving the main conflict along. I've still got a lot of story left to go.

Thank you again for reading. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	23. Chapter 23

**What rage! Do you see yourself in this demon? You are not any different.**

* * *

My bullets fly straight towards Parsee, but they are quickly countered by her in the most unusual fashion.

With a swift wave, Parsee sends a swathe of burning ghostly green flame in front of her. To my surprise, the bullets fall short of her and stop at the flame before dissolving.

_She… burned them?_

"Pathetic." Parsee taunts. "I've seen your weapons before. Weapons from outside Gensokyo. Used for war and murder. I've seen them in old hell. I know how they work, and how to counter them with magic. You will not defeat me so easily with that gun of yours."

_No way! She can counter my bullets? How can she react so fast?_

Daiyousei looks at me with worry. "This is bad. How are you going to attack her?"

"She may be able to stop bullets, but she can't stop magic." I quickly reply. "Keep her busy. I'll try figure something out."

Daiyousei nods. "Ok. I'll do my best!"

"Going up!" Kisume says as she rises over the bridge in her bucket.

"I'll destroy you." Parsee threatens as she prepares her own attack.

Parsee performs a gesture; placing her hands over her head as if concentrating. The air around her vibrates and comes alive with magic. Energy starts to whirl around, becoming brighter and brighter until it reaches full power.

Then, she unleashes it.

Magical shots fly wildly in all directions around her. Bolts of shining energy shoot into the air. At first, the attack seems slow, but the projectiles suddenly bend and snake towards me and the others. The number of shots quickly increases to an intense level as Parsee surrounds herself in a cyclone of guided fire.

I retreat from the magic projectiles as they threaten to overwhelm me. "Gah! How do I get through this?"

"Just stay back and let us handle this." Daiyousei says as she dives through the attacks with incredible grace. "Let me and Kisume deal with the danmaku."

_I hope you know what you're doing…_

Following Daiyousei's advice, I retreat further away where the projectiles start to fizzle out and lose guidance. Dodging them is easy at this range, but I'm pretty far away from Parsee now.

_Maybe long range support will be useful._

I replace my pistol and draw out my crossbow. I load and fire a bolt at Parsee.

But she is still ready for me. She briefly breaks her concentration to cast another fiery veil. My bolt halts in the air like it hit a wall. The bolt quickly deteriorates, rusting and wasting away before falling to the ground uselessly. Parsee glares at me from behind her magic.

_Still useless? Damn! I don't think I'm going to get any direct hits on her. Ah, she here comes!_

Parsee stops a moment longer to retaliate. She winds back her arm and hurls a concentrated shot of her jealous power at me. A fireball zooms all the way across the bridge and right towards me. I move to the side to avoid it only to find that it is homing in on me. The attack curves towards me even as I try to dodge away from it and hits me right in the chest.

"Agh!" I stumble backwards, but regain my balance before I fall.

As I look up, I see Daiyousei and Kisume are not faring too well either. Parsee has picked her attack back up and redoubled her offense. Daiyousei struggles to dodge through the attacks, and Kisume is even less agile and is virtually a floating target. The two are attacking as well, but with how intense Parsee's attack is they are dodging more than attacking.

_I need to do something. They can't beat her like this. They're barely getting any hits! I need to give them a distraction._

_Distraction… Hm… It's a good thing I made a few these in Rika's workshop._

I reach into my ammo pocket and grab a flash shot. I load the round into my pistol and begin making my way towards Parsee. I'll have to get closer in order to blind her; through the curtain of fire.

_Alright, here I go._

I squeeze through a pair of magic bullets that are slowly homing in on me and run towards Parsee.

"Hey, what are you doing? You're gonna get shot!" Kisume calls from above.

I don't reply. My mind is completely focused on evading Parsee's attacks as I try to close ground between us again. Slipping through the attacks is incredibly difficult and tiring for me, but there is a faint pattern I can follow to get through.

I get closer to Parsee, and soon I feel as if I'm in effective range for the flash shot.

Parsee has been keeping an eye on me as I get closer to her; wary of my approach. As soon as I raise my pistol she instantly brings up her defense.

Each bullet disintegrates into her magic as I deliberately waste the remaining eight shots in my pistol.

_That's right. Keep looking at me. _I think while I keep firing; still struggling to dodge through her remaining projectiles.

I then fire the last normal round. I pause for just a second to let Parsee feel confident before firing my last bullet to blind her.

She does. She smirks at me as my last bullet falls apart in her protective magic. "How amusing you are."

But that smirk quickly fades when I pull the trigger to fire my flash shot.

Parsee recoils in agony as piercing white light soaks into her eyes. Her concentration is shattered, and the attack stops instantly.

She screeches in pain and throws her hands over her eyes. "AAAH! My eyes! GAAAH!"

_Got her! _"Now! Attack her now!"

Daiyousei immediately follows through. She closes in, flying past me, and fires a beam right into her. Kisume bombards Parsee from above, injuring her further. She stumbles away in pain before halfway falling down before us.

"Take that!" Daiyousei taunts as she lands next to me.

Kisume has her own little laugh as she hurls another attack down onto Parsee. "Kyahahaha! Not so tough now are you?

"Stay focused you two." I say in warning. "She's not done in yet."

Parsee finally manages to counter Kisume's attacks and back her off; blindly splaying magic into the air while covering her stinging eyes with her arm. Kisume retreats closer to us, and Parsee recovers. She slowly lowers her arms and begins trying to blink away the blindness.

With tears of pain still in her eyes, Parsee shoots a vicious look at me.

"You miserable human…" She hisses.

Her hand trembles in anger as she pulls out a spell card and holds it up to us.

_Spell card. Here we go._

"Jealousy Sign: Green-Eyed Monster." She recites.

She casts her hands forward and activates her spell card. At her command, an orb appears. From that one comes another, and another. A chain of connected spheres begins to form and snake its way towards us.

"It's coming right for us. Get ready." I say as the attack gets closer.

Daiyousei isn't worried in the slightest. "Just that? Easy."

She flies up to get ready to go over it, only to be stopped short as the attack branches off and begins to pursue her.

She then begins to worry. "Eh? I-it's homing on me!"

"It's after me too." Kisume says as another branch goes up and focuses on her.

The last part splits off and comes towards me. "I got one too. It's directed at all three of us."

All three of us are wary as the chain of green magic as it gets close to each of us. Neither one of us is sure of what is going to happen.

It doesn't take long to figure it out.

The chains suddenly hasten and close in on each of us. Daiyousei takes off to get away and so does Kisume, but the attack chases after them, following right behind.

The chain aimed at me comes at me just as fast. I quickly step to the side to avoid it. The chain of bubbling green orbs moves towards where I was, almost giving me the impression that it won't follow, before turning towards me.

_Crap!_

At the last second I dive out of the way to avoid getting struck. As I glance back, I find the spell card coming right after me. It seems to mimic me exactly, pausing a brief moment on the spot where I jumped before lunging at my position. I roll to get away, and the chain proceeds to form along the ground in a slow pursuit.

I quickly get up and slowly back away from the trail of green magic following me. The orbs rise up after me and slowly form at the same pace as me.

_It's mimicking me. _"Hey you two. It's some kind of chaser attack. It'll follow you exactly. Try not to tie yourselves up."

It's too late though. Both Daiyousei and Kisume's wild dodging has spread Parsee's magic all through the air. Kisume has almost trapped herself, and Daiyousei s on her way to doing the same.

"There is no escaping." I hear Parsee say. "You can't run from your own feelings. Give up, and accept my jealousy as your own."

I grimace at the magic approaching me. _She's right. I can't run from this thing. Not forever at least. I need to take down Parsee and interrupt this spell card fast._

Knowing that my ranged weapons are useless directly, I draw out my great knife and turn towards her.

_I'll only have a few seconds before that thing chasing me gets back to me. I only have one chance here._

I rush towards Parsee with my blade in hand. She tenses up and prepares for me to make a move.

I come straight at her, bringing my arm back and swinging vertically downward. Parsee is quick to counter though, sliding to the side and grabbing my arm to hold me back.

She bears down me, forcing me to my knees. She's incredibly strong for a thin girl, and despite my resistance she is overpowering me.

"You're a fool…" She condemns while looking down at me. "Even if I am not the strongest youkai, I am still stronger than you. The idea of an ordinary human beating a youkai in melee is laughable."

_Grrr!_

"Sorry to let you down girl. But I'm not just an ordinary human!" I roar as I turn backwards and lean into her.

Being no stranger to melee, I easily reverse my position and slip out from under her grip. Parsee stumbles forward as her strength suddenly works against her and I break free. I whirl around to her side and before she can move another step I deal I quick slash to her stomach.

The orbs stop in place as Parsee gasps in shock and pain. She tries to retaliate by slashing at me with her fingernails, but I duck away and come back up with an uppercut slash that puts a deep gash on her arm. At my second attack, she loses control of the spell card and the green magic orbs vanish.

Parsee shoots a vicious look at me before she hops up and hovers away from me; going off the bridge and out of reach.

Daiyousei and Kisume land near me. Both are out of breath, and Daiyousei has a light burn on her arm.

"Ah, sorry about that." Daiyousei pants. "I tied myself up with that spell card and couldn't get away to help.

I shake my head. "Never mind. Just be careful next time."

"I'm always careful. Hehe." Kisume says with a chuckle as she crouches down into her bucket.

Parsee huffs as we talk and regroup. "This friendship of yours makes me sick with jealousy. Since you won't simply resign like you should, I'll just have to burn you away."

She draws another spell card and casts it at us.

"Malice Sign: Midnight Anathema Ritual."

She places her hands together and unleashes the power of her card at us. She sprays a bright red magic at us. What at first seems like a volley type attack quickly becomes chaos. Each spark of her magic that lands on the ground erupts into blue ghostly flames. She sweeps her magic across the length of her bridge and surrounds us all with her ghost fire.

Daiyousei and Kisume fly up and quickly escape the low flames. To them, the attack is mostly harmless.

However, the attack is not aimed at them.

The flames surround me. They do not burn the wood bridge, but are still hot like a real fire. My world blurs from the intense heat. Parsee's magic threatens to burn me away.

"Die… die… die…" Parsee repeats again and again as she casts her flames at me.

"No! Joseph, are you ok?" Daiyousei calls from above.

"Nngh! I'm fine! Just focus on her!" I shout as I try to escape the flames.

I make a quick dash through the flames to try and get away, but she continues to follow after me. She is completely focused on attacking me right now. There's no way I can get out of her attack like this.

_I've got to fight back or she's going to vaporize me with these flames!_

I switch my knife back out for my pistol and open fire on her to try and distract her. It does no good though. Using one hand to protect herself and the other to cast, she completely counters my gunfire while still attacking me at the same time.

Thankfully though, my allies succeed in distracting her. A rain of fire from Kisume forces Parsee to dodge and let up on me for a minute.

Parsee looks up at her with disgust. "How annoying."

She redirects her attacks upward at Kisume. Surprisingly, the sparks also erupt in the air around her, and Kisume is also wrapped up in a haze of fire.

_Whew. Thank you Kisume. But now you're in trouble instead!_

Kisume panics as she weaves through the cloud of blue fire descending around her. "Whoa! Hey, you're gonna burn up my bucket! Stop it you idiot!"

"I'll stop her." Daiyousei's voice declares. "Take this!"

I hear a loud fluttering of wings as Daiyousei flies past me and towards Parsee. She zooms straight towards her while casting a rapid volley of projectiles.

Parsee is hit, but remains focused. "Guh! You again? Just die you pathetic fairy!"

It takes a few seconds for the conjured fires around me to fade. Soon though, I am free to move around.

_I need to get her attention back. Let's use a little magic on her. I'll show her a fire!_

I draw out my power crystal and focus on my Ember spell. Parsee turns away from me just a bit as she aims at Daiyousei, allowing me the perfect shot at her. I cast my spell enhanced by my crystal and land a hit right on her arm.

My spell stings her arm and burns her for a moment before she swats away the flames.

Parsee then turns to me again. "You use magic too? Irritating human!"

Before she can retaliate against me though, Kisume hurls a bomb down at her and hits her directly over the head. The eruption sends her into a daze, and she sways in the air a moment before looking up at her attacker.

"Grrr!"

Daiyousei comes around her back and lands a few more shots against her. Between me on the bridge, Daiyousei hovering around, and Kisume high above, we more or less have her surrounded.

At Daiyousei's second attack though, Parsee finally snaps and gives into her rage.

"Argh! ENOUGH! I refuse to let any of you stand a moment longer!"

She ends her spell card and quickly draws another. It seems she's switching strategies.

"Resentment: Grudge Returning! Now… DIE!"

At her screaming threat, she unleashes a torrent of magical flames. A blaze of jealousy and madness flows out from her, threatening to consume everything around her.

Daiyousei yelps in shock as she is nearly absorbed by the sudden eruption.

"Back up! Don't get hit!" I urge. She listens, and backs away.

Parsee doesn't let her escape though. She pursues her and unleashes another outburst of magic at her.

"You are not running from me! You're dying first you little pest!" She screeches.

"Ah! Help!" She cries out as the flames graze against her.

I respond by casting a fire spell at Parsee to try and interrupt her attack. She isn't so easy to hit this time though. She quickly slips away and resumes pursuit. I cast a second time, but her constant moving makes it impossible. A third, still nothing.

_Grr! Come on!_

I try casting Ember at her again, but I begin to feel strange. I feel an unnatural exhaustion and strain as I make the gesture to cast the spell. I still manage to cast the spell, missing a fourth time, but the strain leaves me in a sort of haze.

_Ah? What's with my head? I feel dizzy. Am I… suffering from some kind of burnout? Maybe I was casting too fast. I had been warned that might happen if I tried fighting with magic too much._

I look up. "Kisume? Can you help her?"

"I'm trying!" She calls back. "She's going crazy all over the place. I can't get close or I'll fry, and she's moving too fast to hit from up here!"

_Damn! _"Daiyousei don't stop moving!"

Daiyousei is already flying at full speed. She blindly slings bullets back at Parsee, but to no avail. Parsee is right after, intent on her destruction.

"I'm moving as fast as I can!" She states, trying not to whine. "Please, get this psycho away from me!"

I struggle to think of another form of attack. _Come on, think. There has to be some way for me to land an attack against her… She's fast, but there's no way she can do more than one thing at a time._

I draw my pistol and check the ammo.

_I can make this work. I just need to wait for her to stop for a moment. There's no way she'll see me coming through that attack of hers._

Patiently, I wait for her to attack. Parsee attempts once again to close in on Daiyousei before unleashing another raging outburst of magic. At that instant, right when the flames emerge, I fire as fast as I can.

Unable to see me through the fire, the bullets rip into her. I shoot her again and again, and she recoils and lurches backwards through the air in pain.

_Ha! So you aren't invincible to me after all. I just need to wait for you to let your guard down. So much for your little defensive spell demon!_

"I gotcha now!" Kisume exclaims as she takes her moment of weakness to come in for an attack. Just like she did to me earlier, Kisume winds back a bit before dropping down low and zooming towards Parsee from the side like a swinging flail.

Kisume rams into Parsee hard and knocks her right out of the air. She lands on the railing of her bridge winded and is barely hanging on.

She looks up at me as I reload my gun. She says nothing. Her expression of disgust and anger is all she can manage. Between Daiyousei's blast, my knife cut, getting shot, and her constant use of spell cards, she is quite exhausted.

I reload my gun and walk towards her on the railing. "Time to finish you off."

She looks up at me defiantly. At first, she looks ready to scream, but then she starts… grinning.

"Finish?" She says with a tired chuckle. "No. We're not finished yet. Your friends may have saved you from my last spell card, but you aren't escaping me this time. You'll die, just like the miserable human you are."

Suddenly, she leaps up over the railing and hovers in the air once more. With me as her next main target, she draws yet another spell card and unleashes it.

"Grandfather Cherry Blossom: Shiro's Ashes."

And with that, she casts her spell. She unleashes a brilliant green shockwave. A rolling wave of magic soars over the bridge and above me. As the wave passes though, it leaves a trail of small flowers. Some of them rise and some of them fall as the wind carries them in all directions.

I look up in confusion. _Flowers?_

As one of them nears me though, I realize that it's not a flower at all. It's made of pure energy, and I can tell it's dangerous by just looking at it.

It takes Parsee only a brief moment to cast more flowers out, and soon the bridge and the surrounding air are all covered in flower-shaped projectiles.

"Ouch!" Kisume yelps as she brushes against one. "These things hurt!"

"Are you ok?" Daiyousei stops to ask. "Don't hurt yourself Kisume."

"Watch your movements. Don't get trapped." _Although… I guess I'm already trapped._

The flowers gently flutter all around me. Parsee's spell card has already nearly trapped me in place. I raise my gun to try and fire, but even as she spins around above and dodges my allies' attacks I can see she is keeping a wary eye on me. I know if I fire at her now she'll just use magic to dissolve the bullets. I need to lower her guard again. I only have a few seconds before I am completely covered in these flowers.

But it doesn't take long for that distraction to come. It comes from Kisume.

"You're really annoying you know." She fumes. "You and all your fancy spell cards. You think you're so strong and cool don't you? Well, I got news for you lady. I've got a few of my own!"

Confused and surprised, I look up to see Kisume draw one of her own cards.

"Well Bucket: Well Destructor!" She exclaims.

The card in her hand burns away and empowers her with its effect. She leans over the edge of her bucket and casts her magic downward at Parsee.

The air shakes as she sends down a powerful beam attack. The massive spear of energy threatens to swallow up and destroy Parsee.

Parsee gasps in shock and swoops down and to the side to get away. The laser comes dangerously close to her as she does so.

Kisume isn't done yet though.

"Take this and this and this and this!" She says as she hurls more laser strikes down at Parsee.

Daiyousei flies up alongside her and joins in. "I'll help too! I don't own any spell cards, but I can still fight! Hiyaa!"

Daiyousei directs a hail of bullets down along with Kisume's beams, increasing the intensity of the attack. Parsee struggles to defend herself against the massive attack.

"A duel is it?" Parsee mutters as she slips through the fire. "You two are novices compared to me. I'll crush you both!"

Still channeling her spell card 'Shiro's Ashes', she redirects her attacks up into the air at them. Daiyousei and Kisume counter the petals with their own attacks. Magic flies back and forth as the two exchange attacks in an impressive show of power.

_A spell card battle. Ha… that's really impressive. I guess this is how fights play out in Gensokyo. Both sides casting magic volleys onto each other trying to land hits. Danmaku she called it._

_I'll have to cut this short though._

Parsee is once again focused on my allies and not me. Jealousy is a single-minded thing after all; always directed at the one person or thing that fuels their desires. She never had the mindset to take all three of us to begin with.

I lower my pistol and pull out my crossbow. She does not hear me crank it back over the roaring of Kisume's beams, and the fight has her eyes away from me. I load a bolt, take aim, and fire.

_Gotcha…_

Parsee chokes up in pain. She freezes in place and looks down at the metal bolt jutting out of her chest.

Parsee tries to speak, but can make no words. "Ugh… gck… n-nngh…"

"Haha!" Kisume confidently laughs. "Thanks for the hit Joseph. We'll finish her off now!"

Kisume crouches down into her bucket and winds up one last shot. Daiyousei cups her hands together and forms her own attack. Together, they unleash it upon the injured youkai.

"Take… THIS!"

"Hiyaaa!"

Parsee is torn apart by Daiyousei's rain of shots before being slammed into the bridge by Kisume's beam. Parsee bounces off the impact and crashes into the railing of the bridge. The wood rail cracks loudly, but it does not break. She lies still there, and everything goes quiet.

_There… I think that finished her off. She's not getting up from those wounds any time soon._

Daiyousei and Kisume slowly descend and land next to me.

Kisume looks over at the defeated bridge youkai and laughs to herself. "Hehehehehaha! You put up a good fight, but you're no match for me!"

"I hope this punishment will teach you right." Daiyousei scolds.

Parsee does not respond to either of them.

I know as a Slayer I should kill her. Banish her from this world. Do my duty. I know that Daiyousei doesn't agree with that though, and I'm none too eager to do so myself. I've already given up on trying to force myself to do kill these demons in Gensokyo. I know cannot bring myself to slay such human-like demons without good reason, and while her actions should be reason enough, I still cannot bring myself to finish her off for good.

_This punishment is close enough. I don't have to banish demons completely to rid them. I may be partially failing my duties doing this, but I would feel even worse off the other way. I'll accept this._ I think to myself as I replace my weapons.

Daiyousei turns to me. "That was a pretty rough fight. Are you hurt?"

I shake my head. "Scrapes and bruises. You?"

"Umm… I've got a few burns. Nothing that needs treating. Kisume?"

She chuckles again. "Hehe. You askin' about me? I didn't know we were that close."

Daiyousei smiles. "Of course. You're a friend too."

_I'll take it everyone's fine then._

But her smile fades as she turns back to me. She casts her eyes downward, and her tone becomes quieter and shakier as she talks.

"I'm… really sorry Joseph." She says to me.

"About the things you said? Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean any of it." I reply.

She shakes her head. "No. Not that. About… starting all this mess. This is all my fault. I ignored you when I should have listened, and I ran us all into trouble. I angered a really strong youkai. I was reckless and I nearly got everyone killed. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry… I was trying to help, but I only ended up getting in the way. I'm sorry Joseph."

_Daiyousei…_

Before I can say anything to soothe her though, another voice interrupts with a harsh word.

"Shut up you idiot fairy…"

We all look over at Parsee. She's awake; barely. Her dress is now torn and ripped from our attacks, and numerous injuries ranging from burns to bruises cover ever part of her. She's severely beaten, but still awake.

_You're still moving? Stubborn, aren't you?  
_

Lying back against the railing where she landed, she looks down at her injuries for a moment; one of which is my crossbow shot. The bolt is still there, jutting out of her lower chest. She grabs the shaft, and with a tug, she yanks it out and casts it aside. With that done, she drapes her arms over her body and hugs herself; covering the wounds as best she can.

Daiyousei glares at her. "What do you want?"

She ignores her and goes on. "Don't apologize to him. Never apologize for that… For trying to do a good thing. Even if others hate you for it, even if it does no good, don't apologize for doing right. That's stupid. You shouldn't feel sorry for being a good person."

Daiyousei is taken aback. "W-what? What are you saying?"

"I already told you once you idiot." She says with a weak anger. "I said don't apologize for that. I don't want to hear people feeling sorry for doing good. Hearing that doesn't make me jealous. It makes me angry. So don't."

"You're kinda the reason she feels that way." Kisume points out. "You're not really in a position to talk lady."

"Heh… You're right. I suppose I am the monster here." She replies with a weak chuckle.

"You made yourself one. This is your fault and yours alone. Don't act like you didn't have a choice." I say back.

She looks up at me and sighs. "Still a fool human. For a youkai hunter, you understand so little about us."

She looks down and closes her eyes. "If you're done with me, leave and never come back. I'm feeling rather tired right now, so I'm going to let this go. Just remember what I said, fairy."

Daiyousei nods. "I will."

_Hm… I suppose there was some truth in that at least. Hopefully that will make Daiyousei feel a little better._

"Hey, are we done?" Kisume impatiently asks. "Let's get off this bridge and into the city. It's freezing up here."

"You're coming with us?" I ask.

"Hey, don't question it." Daiyousei says with a cheery smile. "If she wants to come along, let her."

"Yeah! You helped me, or tried to anyways, the least I can do is take you to the city. You don't mind, do you?" She says as she huddles down and peers over the edge of her bucket with innocent eyes.

_No harm in it. As long as she doesn't get too involved. I don't want to drag her into this mess._ "Not at all. Let's get going. We could actually use a guide for the city. Neither of us have been."

"Cool, let's go then!"

Kisume holds up her hand and channels a bit of magic. A glowing spark forms on her fingertips.

"I wouldn't be able to navigate these caves without a little light every now and then. Come on, I'll lead." She says as she starts to hover away towards the far end of the bridge. Daiyousei follows after her.

_Seeing someone float away in a bucket still confuses me. I wonder what that feels like._

I take one last look back down at Parsee before following after them.

Surprisingly though, she is looking back up at me. She seemed to be asleep a few seconds ago.

"Wait a moment, human." She quietly says.

_Ugh… _"What? Be quick. You've already caused enough trouble for me."

"In case… I never see you again." She begins. "Can I look at you once more? Can I see your eyes… his eyes again?"

…

I have no reason to listen to this youkai. Yet, after hearing her tale, I find her past to be quite tragic. She's been betrayed by the world; troubled all of her life. The only joy she had in her life was a man she loved when she was human, and he was taken from her.

_I… guess it wouldn't hurt. Despite of all she's done to me, I don't think I could deny her this. Not after hearing her story._

Against my judgment, I agree. I slowly approach her and crouch down in front of her saying nothing.

She stares at me, focusing on my face. Seconds pass before she says anything.

"His eyes were blue, yours are green. But the colors don't matter. The gaze he had is just like yours. A piercing gaze that command attention… a gaze that once commanded my heart. Seeing you reminds me of him and the promise we made. That night we were going to meet, the night he didn't show up, was the night we were supposed to get engaged. We promised each other…" She says as a few moisture forms in her eyes.

Tears fall as she goes on. "I wonder what he would think of me now. I still love him, but I wonder if he would still love me. I wonder if I will ever know that feeling of love again."

I stand up and step back. "It doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

She looks up at me. "What do you mean?"

"You're living in the past Parsee." I say in a serious tone. "You said you want your past to leave you alone, but you won't let it go. Your old life is gone. Why don't you accept that and move on?"

She sighs. "Fool… if I could have let go all those years ago I wouldn't have become a youkai. The thing you are failing to understand is that once you become a youkai, you can't change who you are anymore. The youkai you become defines who you are and how you act for the rest of your life. The moment I started to turn, I lost the ability to let things go. I will always be this way. Always jealous. Nothing will ever change me."

I find a sad revelation in her words.

_So that's why Parsee is always jealous, and why Kisume always needs a bucket, and why Rumia always preys on others. It makes sense like that. They always act like that because they can't change the kind of youkai they are. I suppose I'm not any different. A Slayer doesn't have any choice. If I don't fight, I will lose my soul to my curse and never reach the afterlife. We… aren't so different._

"I guess I understand that. I too know what it's like to be stuck in a role." I say with a grimace. "We may not be able to change, but we can always try to better ourselves the best we can."

Parsee is quiet for a moment before she laughs weakly. "Hahaha… Such wishful thinking seldom does any good, but I will remember that."

She closes her eyes again. "Thank you. Now leave."

I nod and turn away. I leave Parsee behind and run ahead to catch up with my allies. Both of them are stopped and looking at me at the end of the bridge.

"What was that?" Kisume asks. "You two were pretty close for a minute there. Was it important?"

I shake my head. "No. It was nothing. Let's go. I want to get out of here."

She shrugs. "Suit yourself."

Kisume turns around and uses her magic light to lead the way. "It's not too much further to the city. I'll show you around when we get there. I know a few ins and outs that you might like."

"Perfect! That would be wonderful." Daiyousei say with glee.

Kisume leads the way through the dark, and we leave Parsee and her bridge behind. I still can't forgive her actions, and her punishment was certainly deserved, but I still find her a rather tragic soul. I hope that my last few parting words will give some comfort.

Thankfully, it's all over now. She put up a hard fight, but she was no match for the three of us together. Parsee and her jealous wrath are behind us now, and now we can finally move on.

Onward to the Capital of Former Hell, and the answers that lie within.

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter. I hope you all are enjoying the holidays.

Trying to interpret danmaku can be a bit of a challenge sometimes. I think it's a bit easier to describe a person than a dynamic object or a series of objects. There are wiki's and pictures for spell cards that are a huge help (and I can always go play the games to get a feel). But the first attack from Parsee in this chapter is her midboss non-spell move, and I had to make up the words for that ('cyclone of guided fire'). It's a lot of fun, but also tricky, and I went through and threw out several versions of these descriptions. I favor a less literal interpretation of danmaku (bunch of balls and dots) over what I think it would look like in actuality (flames, lights, sparks, etc).

There is also another thing I tried using here. I love mixing sci-fi and fantasy, and Joseph as the main character does a lot of mixing of those genres with his technology and weapons being used against Gensokyo's youkai. Up to this point, Joseph can generally get the upper hand against most people with his weapons, but I think magic has an equal chance to technology and vice-versa. I came up with the idea of Parsee using her 'flames of jealousy' to burn away and counter Joseph's bullets. I seriously doubt anyone would be able to shoot their way through all of Gensokyo, and there are bound to be plenty of individuals who are magically adept enough to counter modern (or not quite modern in this case) firepower in interesting ways.

Thank you again for reading my story. The next chapter will be ready soon.

Also, on a final note, I apologize for some glaring typos in the last few chapters. I'm always trying to go back and fix my mistakes and reupload. Even spending my hours editing and proofreading I still let a few get by me. Sorry.


	24. Chapter 24

**The city lights are both beautiful and treacherous.**

* * *

The darkness slowly begins to fade away as we approach the underground city.

Kisume leads the way to what looks like a busy city street. Hanging lanterns burn brightly, casting a golden light down onto the dirt roads. The buildings have a distinctly foreign look to them with their low slanted roofs and light construction, and they have an antique feel to them. Throughout the streets are all kinds of unnatural creatures tending to their business and visiting the various shops and stalls. The sheer number of demons here makes me shiver a little.

_There is a lot that could go wrong in a place like this. We should lay out a plan._

I stop everyone just outside the gate. "Hey, hold on a moment."

I pull us off to the side of the main road and speak quietly to everyone.

"Alright, we need a plan to get through here." I say to the two girls.

Kisume tilts her head to the side. "Eh? I thought we were just messing around?"

"Yeah, weren't we going to go through the city for a while?" Daiyousei asks.

I shake my head. "Daiyousei, you know we don't have time for that."

She sighs. "Oh… right."

I turn to Kisume. "Do you know where the Palace of the Earth Spirits is?"

She nods. "Yeah. It's kind of hard to miss. Did you not see it? It's that large building on the hill overlooking the city. It's on the complete opposite end of the city."

Curious, I take a quick look back into the city. Sure enough, I spot the palace far ahead. It's nothing more than a silhouette from here, but it's clearly there.

_Looks maybe an hour walking. At least we can see it from here._

I turn back to our group. "Alright. That's our goal. Kisume, can you lead us there?"

"Yep!"

"You don't mind?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Not at all. You guys are being all secretive about this and stuff, and it looks like fun. Count me in."

_For now at least. I don't want to get you involved in all this._

"Ok. We go straight there. No stops, no detours." I say to them. "If any one of us gets lost, you go there and wait for the rest outside the palace. Got it?"

They both nod.

"Don't talk to anyone, and keep your head down." I continue. "Let's get through here nice and quiet. Ok?"

"Joseph, we're not kids." Daiyousei groans. "I'm almost two hundred years old."

"Almost three hundred." Kisume adds.

"Right…" I sigh. "Well, I just wanted to make sure we had that straight. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Don't worry; we can take care of ourselves." Daiyousei says with a smile.

I nod. "Alright then. Let's go. And remember; if you get lost go on ahead and meet at the palace. Kisume, are you ready?"

She gives a firm nod. "You bet. I know a few shortcuts that can get us there in no time! This way."

Kisume floats back to the street and me and Daiyousei follow. With our goal sitting in plain view in the distance, we begin to make our way through the city.

As we pass the entrance and proceed down the street, I take cautious glances at the various buildings and stalls around us. Just as Kisume made mention of earlier, this place seems like the kind of place you can go to get anything. Shops range from plain to impossible, and down the alleyways between the buildings I can see shadier businesses taking place. Be it good or bad, this really does seem like the kind of place where you can buy anything.

Yet, in spite of all of its charms and lures, I feel nervous here.

The crowded streets are full of demons. Some of them give disgusted looks at me from afar, while others passing closer grimace and scowl in my direction. Not all of them can sense me right away, but it's clear some can, and that humans like me are certainly not welcome.

_All it would take is one demon to call me being an exterminator and the whole street would turn against us. There could be a riot any second here. We need to hurry._

"Kisume…" I whisper. "We need to get off this road."

"Hey, relax." She casually says. "Enjoy the sights. We'll get there and good time."

Daiyousei is also unbothered, and changes the topic without a care. "Look at this city! I've never seen so many people in one place. And all these shops… it's amazing!"

Kisume chuckles. "Ehehe. Glad you like it. You can get all kinds of things here. The restaurants are great too. When you guys get the chance, you need to come to this place at-"

"HEY! YOU!" A voice thunders from down the street behind us.

My senses warn me of a new danger. _Oh no…_

The street quiets as the three of us turn towards the person behind. All eyes are on us, and this new threat.

Standing at the end of the streets is a giant. A huge, powerfully built man with a pair of jagged horns jutting out from the side of his head. The tool belt around his waist and lack of shirt indicate he is some kind of craftsman. He looks towards the three of us with fury in his eyes.

_This must be an oni. I've never seen such a powerful looking demon before…_

He storms towards us. "I've been looking for you, you little thief! You aren't getting away from me this time!"

_Thief? I'm not… Wait… Oh no… Kisume, you didn't!_

I turn towards Kisume. "Kisume… that bucket you're in… where did you get it?"

She looks down a bit. "W-well. You said I should borrow one, didn't you?"

_She did. Just great…_

I sigh. "Kisume, this is not good for us."

"I can't believe you! How could you steal like that?" Daiyousei scolds

Kisume laughs weakly. "Hehe… he… well, it was actually pretty easy for me."

Daiyousei crosses her arms and glares at her.

"Oh come on!" Kisume cries out. "It's just one bucket! I'm not a serial thief or anything. I can't get away with this just once?"

"It always starts small…" The approaching man grumbles. "First it's one little thing, then another, and before long everyone's stealing my wares like I'm running a damned charity! Well I'm not putting up with it! I've come to collect what's mine!"

The man continues to walk towards us. I certainly wasn't hoping for a fight here, but if he's going to attack then I will have to defend myself. I place my hand on my pistol and get ready to draw it.

A confrontation seems inevitable now. I wait for the man to make his move, but before the fight begins, it ends.

Kisume turns towards me and apologizes. "S-sorry for the mess Joseph, but I've got to run. You're on your own for now."

_Huh?_

Then, without warning, Kisume reverses and takes off; floating away in her bucket.

"See you at the palace you two!" She calls back. She flies away and heads for an intersection where she disappears into one of the side streets.

"Hey! HEY! Get back here!" The man calls as he rushes after her.

The demon pushes me and Daiyousei out of the way to get to Kisume. Both of us stumble in opposite directions and bump into the crowd.

I stumble over someone and we both crash.

_Oof! That hurt… he threw me out of the way like I was a toy!_

I quickly realize that I'm on a person and get off them.

"Watch it you fool!" The woman hisses at me.

"Sorry." I apologize while stepping away.

I look ahead to where Kisume was, but she is not there. _She's run away on us. Damn! Now we'll have to figure out how to get through here on our-_

"Kyaaa! Help! Let go of me!"

I hear a shriek from Daiyousei. Not too far from where she landed I find her being carried away by a trio of oni men.

"Come on little fairy. Let's go have ourselves a little fun. Hehe…" One of them says with an evil grin.

"No! Help!" She cries again as she struggles to break free.

_Hold on, I'm coming!_ I think as I run towards her.

As I run though, I collide with another individual. A fierce looking creature with a wolf's head.

"Grr! Watch it idiot!" The youkai says in a gravelly voice.

_Ah, I don't have time for this!_

I try to run past him, but right as I pass in front of him he grabs me by the shoulder and stops me.

He sniffs audibly. "Hmmm. Hey… you're a human, aren't you? You got the smell of blood on you. A youkai hunter…"

_Oh, this is not good._

At that, several people look at me once again.

The person I knocked down earlier, a magician in a black robe and shroud, mutters to herself. "Human… yes, definitely so. A rarity down here. I could use some human blood for my next spell…"

"Been too long since I've dined on human flesh." Another says with a loud snort.

"A hunter? A scumbag I say. We should tie him up and drag him through the town for everyone to see. We'll see how tough he is then." Says another.

_This is bad… very bad…_ I think as I look around at the countless menacing eyes looking at me.

_I can't fight them all. I need to get out of here. Daiyousei and Kisume are all in different directions now. The only hope I have for us is that they can follow the plan and show up at the palace. In the meantime, I need to get there myself._

I take a deep breath. _Alright. Here goes. One… two…_

On three I twist and break free from the tightening grip of the youkai holding me and make a dash for the city.

"Stop him!" A voice cries out from behind.

I hear people pursue me as I run to the city. When I reach the first intersection, I take a few quick glances to see if I can find Kisume or Daiyousei, but I have no such luck. They are long gone. My only option is to keep moving forward.

Choosing a random direction, I run down another street to escape my pursuers. I weave through the busy crowds while a small group of youkai chase after me. If I slip up now then it will surely be the end of me.

But then, I find a small side alley. It looks to be pretty quiet and easy to hide in, so I run into there. This short street between two large buildings is narrow, but without any crowds, I have no problems getting through here quickly. I find a small alcove along the side of one of the buildings and run into it.

I lean back against the wall and look back to the street I came from. I see a few individuals running down the street and away from me, oblivious to my disappearance. It seems I've gotten away.

I take a few seconds to catch my breath.

_What a mess. I knew that coming through the city like this would be a problem. I've lost both my allies and I've gotten myself chased to who knows where. This isn't good at all. Kisume's probably still on the run, and I fear what those people are going to do to Daiyousei. This is all wrong. What am I going to do now? I know I said to meet up, but maybe I should look for them? I would hate it if they got hurt while I went on ahead._

"My my, what an interesting sight. A human all the way down here of all places." A voice calls.

I look towards the voice to find a young woman. A youkai dressed in an elegant white dress with brownish streaks and decorated with ribbons. She doesn't seem to be aggressive, but the look in her eyes makes me a little nervous.

I step away from her and place a hand on my gun. "What is it? Are you after me too?"

"Me? Certainly not. Why would I be after you?" She calmly replies.

"Then what do you want?" I demand.

"My my, aren't you a bad mannered human. You shouldn't speak to a lady like that." She says back.

She turns away and looks around the alley. "But to answer your question, I came down to this alley from the surface because I learned there was a special store that sold a rare type of delicious rice. But it's closed and gone now. A pity."

_What the? _"You came all the way down here to this hell for food? That's pretty reckless."

"Why? She asks.

"What do you mean 'why'? Who would come to this dangerous place for such a purpose? You're crazy to come here." I counter.

She shakes her head. "Crazy? You are quite mistaken. There is nothing dangerous here at all."

_Not dangerous? Is she toying with me?_

This woman's strange words only frustrate me further, and I quickly lose my little remaining patience.

"I just saw my friends get torn away from me and chased off by these youkai. I myself just spent the last ten minutes running for my life while a mob chased after me. How can you say this place is not dangerous? Idiot…" I say with seething anger.

Despite my anger though, she remains calm. "My, my. How unfortunate. But, I wouldn't worry about your friends."

_Huh? _"What do you mean?"

"The city isn't all bad as you might think, human." She replies. "While the oni and the other denizens of hell are certainly unpleasant, they are actually quite friendly. They just have strange ways of showing their friendliness to others. Again, I wouldn't worry about your friends. I doubt the city will harm them."

I think on her words.

_I don't know if I should believe her… but, she might be right. Gensokyo is pretty crazy sometimes. Maybe they will be alright on their own. If not that, Kisume is probably tricky enough to evade getting caught, and Daiyousei could definitely outsmart those oni if she got the chance. I shouldn't give up on them. I have to keep going and hope they do the same._

She smiles a wicked grin. "You on the other hand… well, let's just say you don't have very good odds out there."

_Ah, she's definitely right there. And I still need to get to the palace way out there though._

"You know…" The youkai girl says as she quietly steps towards me. "You could always stay with me for a while. You don't need to be anywhere any time soon, do you?"

I shake my head. "Not an option."

She steps even closer. "Are you sure? I've actually quite enjoyed your company. Why don't you stay with me for a while? It won't hurt, will it? "

She steps even closer and leans into me slightly, breaching my comfort zone. She gingerly throws an arm around my shoulder and embraces me slightly. She intends to hold me here with her regardless of what I say.

It's at that point I place my hand back on my pistol in preparation.

"Demon, I'm warning you. I don't have time for your games." I growl.

My warning gets through, and she slowly withdraws with a sigh. "Ah… A shame. Oh well. I suppose I'd best let you be off mister hunter. Although I would hate to see such a handsome young man get killed out there. Perhaps I can give you a little bit of good luck before you leave."

She turns back to the alcove's back wall and picks a small stone off the ground.

"I found this stone earlier." She says. "There is a magic shop on the second floor of this building. This must have rolled off the store's window sill and landed down here. I thought about leaving it earlier, but if it is some kind of charm than perhaps it can help you stay alive a little longer."

She turns back and hands me the stone. I take it and look it over. It's a plain gray stone tied onto a necklace

_What's this? A charm? No, it's a rune stone. This letter-argh!"_

Suddenly, the single rune letter jumps up off the stone and into my eyes. The world blackens as I absorb the strange spell within it. I drop the stone in shock and close my eyes hard to shut out whatever the stone is doing to me, but the symbol has already burned itself into my mind.

_Ugh… what on earth was that? Did I absorb the charm's spell?_

I blink for a few seconds and the world begins to return. The youkai girl is leaning over me with a concerned look.

"My, are you alright? You look ill. Was it a curse?" She asks.

I gently push her off and stand up. "No, just… it's nothing. Just give me a second."

I dig into my mind to search for the spell. I think it is some kind of defensive spell. Something to protect the user. No… not protect. To hide.

_A cloaking spell of some sort? Maybe. Let me try it._

The gesture is simple and easy to perform. I focus and perform the gesture, a reverse wave at myself, to use the spell. As I do, I begin to disappear. I can still see a faint silhouette of myself, but it soon becomes apparent others cannot.

The youkai girl walks past me. "Ah? Hello? Where have you gone? Hello?"

But as soon as she finishes that, the spell weakens and I reappear.

"Ah! What are you doing, vanishing like that? You startled me!" She says, sounding a little distraught.

I look down at myself, and everything seems to be there again. "I don't know. It's some kind of invisibility magic. Cloak I think it's called, or at least that's what I think I learned from the rune. This… this could be useful after all."

"I see. Well, I'm glad it worked for you." She says, still sounding distressed.

I look to the street of busy people ahead. _Maybe I can use this spell to get ahead without drawing any attention to myself._

I turn back to the youkai girl. "Thank you, but I have to get going. You've been a huge help."

She nods. "Yes, I suppose you must. Take care of yourself, human."

I turn away from her, and she from me, and we go our opposite ways. I walk towards the end of this alley and peer out into the busy street. I can see the shadow of another small alley a short distance away.

_The spell's effects might be a bit too short to cross through this busy street. I bet if I use my magic enhancing stone I can extend the duration a little._

I take the stone and re-cast Cloak. I wait and measure the time.

_Eight… nine…_

I reappear.

_Ten. Ten seconds with the enhancement and about four without. Ten seconds is plenty of time. As long as I don't overwork my magic ability and take breaks, I should be able to get to the palace unnoticed._

I take a deep breath. _Ok. Three… two…_

At the end of my count I cast Cloak and make a dash for the alley across this busy street. I carefully weave through the crowd and reach the alley.

_Whew. Made it._

From here, I see another dark shadow behind a stall on the other end of the road a short distance away. Repeating my process of using Cloak, running a short ways, and hiding when it wears off.

From this spot I can see the Palace of the Earth Spirits looming over the other buildings.

_It's not too much further. Maybe a few more blocks. I can get there easy. I just hope that girl was right and that the others aren't in danger._

I continue to use my magic to navigate the town stealthily. I take short breaks and avoid over-exerting myself and causing a burnout. As long as I don't cast too much too fast I can use magic repeatedly without risk, and with all the hustle and bustle of the town there are plenty of spots to hide and avoid the eyes of the youkai crowd.

The rest of the journey is time-consuming. Dodging through the street and hiding makes the remaining distance take twice as long as it should. But, after a while I finally reach the palace.

This final street is almost dead. There isn't a single person here on this road crossing in front of the Palace of the Earth Spirits. There are no shops or houses, just an empty street with some buildings facing away on one side and a wall and gate on the other.

I cautiously step out into the open. _Hmm… no one here. I think I've made it safely. I should be fine to move openly now._

Certain I won't be spotted by any spiteful demons, I walk down the street towards the gate.

A tall, dark iron gate with a rose design blocks the way to the large building behind. The Palace of the Earth Spirits isn't so much of a palace as it is a mansion. It is dark grey with pointed spires along the front roof, and various stained glass windows. It is completely different from the other buildings here.

But… there is something missing. My allies are not here.

_Where are they? Should I wait? There's no way I'd show up first with how long I took. Agh… I hope they're ok…_

I continue to look around a moment, hoping to see some familiar face show up. Seconds turn into minutes, but no one arrives.

Until…

_Wait… who's that? Green hair… blue dress… it's her!_

I spot Daiyousei coming down the far end of the street. Those demons that carried her off earlier are gone. She seems to have gotten away safely after all.

I soon notice something is distinctly wrong though. She seems to have an odd pace. She is moving erratically. As she gets closer, I can see she is swaying as she walks.

_What is she doing? _"Daiyousei! Daiyousei I'm glad you made it ok. You are ok, right? Daiyousei? Hey, say something. Are you ok?"

She's looking downward, swaying drastically with each step. I can see something in her hands, but I'm not sure what. When she finally reaches me, she looks up at me with blank eyes that seem to indicate she's not quite here.

Her expression indicates something else entirely though.

She smiles a beaming smile. "Why hello theres old friend… hehe… what are you doin' down heresh?"

Her speech is slurred, and her breath carries the heavy scent of alcohol.

_What on earth did those men do to her? _"Daiyousei, are you ok?"

"Ok? I's ok. I's feel gooooood." She replies. "Those guys di'n't lie Joseph… they took me out to have fun. Hehehe! We went to places and had all kinds of… hehe… funny little drinks and stuffs. Thesh were really good guys, Josifff… Look, they even gave me a souvenur."

She holds up the object she's carrying. It looks like some kind of skull, but a tiny cork on the top shows that it's a flask of some sort. Daiyousei then removes the cork and takes a long drink from it. The smell of alcohol on her grows stronger, and she sways dangerously far backwards.

She looks back at me when she finishes and smiles again, even further gone now. "Hehehehe! I'sh good! Shuper good! I dunno what this stuff is, but it makes me feel sooooo much better when I drink from it."

Daiyousei moves to take another drink, but I reach over and snatch it from her.

"Give me that you idiot." I grumble.

I cast the bottle aside and it shatters on the ground.

"Heeey!" Daiyousei whines. "That was miiiine!"

I sigh. "You're drunk Daiyousei. You don't need any more."

She pouts at me. "I'm not drunk! I just feels in a happy mood! You jush jealous of me. You jealous like Parsee. Hehe… Hehehaha! That's a funny name ishn't it? Parsee. Parsee. Parseeeeee!"

Daiyousei whirls around as she sings Parsee's name. She soon loses balance though and drunkenly staggers into me.

She looks up at me and grins as she hugs me tightly. "Haha! You're all so romantic Joseph! Why is there so many of you?"

_Ugh… she's completely wasted. At least some small part of her ruined mind was still rational enough to tell her to come here like she should._

I look around again. _Now,_ _where's Ki-_

"Hold on! Don't leave me behind!"

I turn back to see Kisume coming up from behind at high speed.

_Whoa!_

I pull me and Daiyousei aside right as Kisume comes up behind us. She skids to a halt, grinding her bucket against the ground to brake, and spins around to face us. She's exhausted and panicked.

"Hey… Joseph… we got to get out of here…" She says, short on breath.

_Ah, she made it. Good. _"How did you get away though?"

"A friend of mine helped me give that bully the slip. Tied him up for a little while. We don't got all day though." She quickly says.

Daiyousei looks at her with the same silly grin. "Kisume! There you are! Stop spinning around, you're making me dizzy-hehehe!"

Kisume gives a confused look. "What's with her?"

I just shake my head and sigh.

"Right, no time. Come on let's go! Through the gate! It's not locked is it? Hurry up, get in!" Kisume urges.

Kisume practically shoves both of us to the palace's gate. Still using an arm to keep Daiyousei balanced, I push the gate open and step inside.

Daiyousei giggles loudly. "Kithume, stop that. You're tickling me! Hahaha!"

She continues to push us forward with her bucket. "Come on, in in in!

As soon as we're in the courtyard Kisume whirls around, slams the gate shut, and throws down the lock.

Kisume gently lands on the ground and sits back a bit. "There. We should be safe now… Whew! That was intense."

"Yeah, that didn't go so well. I didn't do so well after you left either. Daiyousei is… well, she's doing _too _well right now. Let's get inside and maybe find a place for her to rest." I say as I move to the door across the courtyard.

"Hey… that reminds me." Kisume says as she gets up and follows behind. "What _did _you need from this place?"

"I'm… here to meet someone." I reply.

"A friend?" She asks again.

"You don't need to know." I reply back.

"Oh, come on. I ran all the way here and met up with you guys. We had a bad start, I'll admit, but we're allies now! I've come this far, you may as well take me all the way." Kisume insists.

_I don't know… _"Kisume, this isn't something you need to get involved with. This isn't a game."

"I guessed as much." She says. "But you aren't going to scare me. I'm actually interested in you guys and your little adventure now. I want in on the fun too. So come on, tell me. I've helped you this much. Maybe I can help more."

_I… well… maybe… Maybe she's right there._

I sigh. "I'll tell you… after the meeting. I really need to look into this first."

She nods. "Deal. I'll hold you to it though."

_I hope you're ready for this Kisume._

I continue to lead us to the front door. Even though I'm holding her up, Daiyousei still manages to trip on the step.

"Hehe! Look, I shrunk! Everything's so tall now." She says in awe as she looks up from the ground.

"What happened to her? Is she drunk?" Kisume observes.

"Yeah…" I mutter in reply.

I pick her up and carry her in my arms as she clearly can no longer stand. Thankfully, her wings are folding back behind her, or this would be a hassle.

"Weee! This is fun! I'm floating!" Daiyousei cheers.

Ignoring her, I lean into the door and push it open.

The main foyer has a large staircase on the back wall that splits; leading up to two second floor hallways. On the back wall above the center stair is a massive stained glass window that shines a dull purple light on the black and white checkered floor.

Kisume closes the door behind us; causing it to make a resounding echo. Almost immediately after, a fairy shows up on the stairs wearing a maid uniform.

The fairy notes the three of us. "Hmm… I think you're the ones we were waiting for. Better get the master to make sure."

The fairy zooms off and disappears into the second floor hall. A minute later, she returns with another person.

A short girl wearing a light blue shirt and pink skirt comes down the stairs. Her hair is also pink, and she has a rather girlish look with the heart hairband and numerous heart beads on her shirt.

Except… she also looks incredibly inhuman with that eye she has on her. Connected to her hairband and arms with what looks like veins is a glaring red eye. The expression on it is static, a sustained, dark, questioning glare.

The girl and her eye look down on us.

"It's them." She says to the fairy. "They're the ones that shikigami wants. Tell her when she comes back."

"Right." The fairy says before taking off back into the mansion.

I approach the girl. She eyes each of us. I notice she looks upon the drunken Daiyousei with disgust.

"On second thought." She calls back.

The fairy returns instantly. "Yes master?"

"Take these two young ladies to a room, and get some medicine set aside for the fairy for later." She orders.

"Huh? Two?" Kisume asks. "Why me?"

"I assume you are tired after being chased, correct?" She says.

_What? How did she know?_

Kisume thinks for a moment before replying. "Well… I guess you're right there. I am a little worn out. You don't mind Joseph?"

I shake my head. "Not at all. Why don't you take a little nap and I'll come get you afterwards."

"Ok. Deal. Don't forget." Kisume says.

"I won't."

With that, the fairy maid next to the girl whistles loudly. Just as quick as before, several more maids show up to carry Daiyousei. They come to me and I gladly hand over my drunk ally to them.

"Weee!" Daiyousei says with glee as the fairies lift her up.

Daiyousei continues to giggle drunkenly as the fairies take her into the mansion. Kisume quietly follows behind them, and soon, my allies are all gone. It's just me and this girl now.

"No need to worry about them." She says. "I will be sure to take good care of them. I'm sorry for your friend's… condition. The oni are known to be quite persistent when it comes to the drink, and may sometimes force it onto others. They are also quite prideful of their craft, as your little thief friend found out earlier."

_What the? How-_

"Oh, and I must thank you for your words to our dear bridge guardian Parsee. I feel you did her a justice in saying what you did. Her past has made her bitter more than her jealousy ever will. I believe urging her to move on is the best course of action in healing that girl's troubled heart." She adds.

"What kind of demon are you?" I demand. "How do you know of these things?"

The girl merely sighs and steps down closer to me.

"Apologies. I get carried away sometimes. Allow me to introduce myself proper. I am Satori Komeiji. I am the master of this estate. I live here with my pets, and sometimes my sister, along with a few maids." She explains.

I nod. "I see. It's a pleasure. And thank you for watching after my allies. Now, I-"

"A letter." She interrupts. "I know of it. Its contents are true. I have spoken with Ran Yakumo and have agreed to allow her to use this place for your meeting. The details of my arrangement with her, and with you, will be explained shortly. She has departed for a brief moment to check on her shikigami and will return in any minute."

_W-what? There's no way she could know about that. Is she a… Are you a mind reader, Satori?_

"Indeed." She replies with a slight smile.

I feel color fade from my face.

_Oh man. This is not good. I'll need to be careful and guard my thoughts!_

Her smile widens a little. "There is nothing left to guard, Joseph. Your heart has been wide open for some time now. A demon hunter from a completely different world; bound by a curse that demands blood. A world of machines unlike ours; both beautiful and hideous. You truly are just as she said. Even your heart is unlike those of this earth."

I cannot think of a reply. She's already read right through me.

"Oh, don't worry. Your secrets are safe with me." She says. "My third eye allows me to see a great many secrets, and I have learned to keep them well. Although I must admit some of your, shall I say, darker thoughts are quite amusing."

_Huh? _"W-what do you mean, darker?"

She smiles a little wider, grinning evilly now. "I understand you are a man, but you are also human and to have such… strong… opinions of youkai is unusual."

_What? That's an absolute lie! _"Satori, I assure you I have _never _had any such thoughts of others! I am focused on my duties and nothing else!"

"Your heart does not lie Joseph." She replies. "There is no denying that there are quite a few lovely ladies in Gensokyo. Such thoughts are only natural for a young man like you, even if you never think of them for more than a second."

I step away from her.

_Does she mean my subconscious thoughts? That's… Just how much does she know about me then?_

She looks deep into me with her piercing gaze.

"Everything." She replies.

"Satori, enough. You are bothering him." A new voice says.

We both look towards the stairs and find a new individual coming down. A tall blonde woman with what looks like a large number of blonde furry tails stacked behind her. She is dressed in an off-white robe with a dark blue cloak draped over her front. She commands an unearthly presence like Satori does.

_This must be Ran Yakumo. Yukari's servant._

"Correct. She is quite happy to see you too." Satori says, reading my mind.

Her face shows little emotion. More mind reading it seems.

"You'll have to be careful around her. She is known to be a little aggressive with her mind reading." Ran says with a wry smile. "But she does speak the truth. Your arrival is most fortuitous. I'm glad you decided to follow my instructions."

"So you wrote that letter." I begin. "You've said some things that piqued my curiosity. Satori has already hinted that you know more about me than most. You must also know why I am here then. You said you had information regarding the Nightcaster's plans."

She nods. "Indeed. There is much we need to talk about."

"But not here." Satori says as she heads back for the stairs. "My study is much more comfortable. Let's discuss this there. Shall we?"

"Yes. This way Joseph. It's time you learned what is really happening with your enemy and my master, Yukari." Ran says as she follows after Satori.

I follow after them.

_Yes… I think it's time I did._

The three of us go into the Palace of the Earth Spirits. I've finally reached the end of this journey to the deep depths of former hell. I've finally reached the end, and found the letter to not only be true, but that Ran may be able to hold up to her word in helping me figuring out what the Nightcaster is up to.

Today is a victory, but there are worse challenges are up ahead. I dread what my enemy has been planning.

But with my new allies now with me, I am certain that I will find and defeat her no matter what.

* * *

A/N

Thank you again for reading my next chapter.

This was a really crazy (and a little silly) chapter before I really settle down on the story's next main event and get really serious with the story's tone again. I've introduced Ran and Satori as both allies, and we'll see a little bit more of them next. Now that I've gotten here, it's time to move the main plot along. I fear I have spent too many chapters leading up to this event, but I had a lot of fun doing so and I think I've received a mostly positive reception about it so far, so I think I'm ok with my overall work so far (save for a few typos that I'm sure are still there).

Also, I received a rather unusual request from one of my reviewers a while back. 'Ban3' asked me to put a cameo character in my story. The woman in white Joseph meets in the alley is based on an OC belonging to Ban3 named Kaimi, although she doesn't give her name here. The part she plays was originally going to be handed to a random nameless youkai and be much shorter, but since it didn't interfere with the story either way, I accommodated the request; if anything to at least try it. I've found that this is not something I'm fond of though, as I don't want to get carried away with fan characters, and my writing style and opinions, (This case, Kaimi likes to use "Ara" In her sentences, but I prefer to avoid Japanese slang.) can sometimes conflict and detract from OCs. But, I gave it my best shot and I think I did well in her character. It was fun to do, but I don't think I'd consider doing a cameo request ever again.

Anyways...

Thank you again for reading. I hope to have the next chapter ready soon.


	25. Chapter 25

**Success? No. You still have much further to go.**

* * *

Satori's study is a luxurious room. A few large bookshelves line one wall. There are a few chairs set aside for us, but Satori is the only one sitting right now; leaning back into a tall cushioned chair. I remain standing.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

Ran is standing on one end of Satori's study facing away from us. She's been focusing on something, but there's just a wall there.

"Please, be quiet." She replies. "I need to focus on this."

_Ugh… this girl is being too mysterious._

A few more minutes pass by before Ran finally stops.

"There got it." She says.

Then, at her word, there is a slight flicker. The air in front of her warps and a dark hole appears in front of her.

_What the? A hole?_

"A gap." Satori corrects for me.

"Indeed." Ran adds. "Give me another moment…"

The hole seems to shift slightly before suddenly filling with light. On the other end, I can see a room.

A room I recognize.

_The… mansion?_

On the other side, I can see the crowded library. I recognize it as the Scarlet Devil Mansion's library. Voile it was called. On the other side, I can see three people. Remilia, Patchouli, and Sakuya talking. Or at least, Remilia and Patchouli talking.

They continue the conversation another second before they notice us on the other side of the gap.

Patchouli slowly trails off as she sees us. "Remi, I'm sorry but there isn't…"

Remilia becomes curious as her friend stops. She turns to face us and immediately jumps up out of her chair.

She slowly walks towards the gap. "What is that? A hole? No, it's one of Yukari's gaps. What is this doing here?"

Ran steps forward and leans partially through the gap. "Remilia Scarlet. Please, come this way. We need to talk."

Patchouli gets up and walks towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to talk." She replies. "Joseph is here. Now come, we need to discuss something."

"Careful my lady." Sakuya says. "It could be a trap."

Remilia nods. "Correct. How do I know I can trust you? Your Yukari's shikigami."

I sigh and step in front of the gap where I can be seen. "It's not a trap you two. I made it to the underground just fine. Ran isn't lying. Now come on so we can get this conversation started."

"Ah? Joseph. You survived after all. Good." Remilia says. "I suppose I'll take your word on it. Sakuya, could you watch over the mansion for a few minutes?"

Sakuya bows. "Of course, My Lady."

Remilia then turns to Patchouli. "Will you come?"

The librarian reluctantly trudges over to the gap. "Yes… I suppose I must."

Remilia smiles at her before turning to the gap and stepping through. Patchouli follows, and Ran closes the gap.

Satori greets the two. "Ah, Remilia and Patchouli. It has been too long. Or… perhaps not long enough according to you."

"Indeed." Remilia drily replies as she glares at Satori. Patchouli says nothing and takes a seat in one of the chairs.

_There. We got them with us now. But…_

"Ran, why didn't you just do that earlier?" I ask. "Couldn't you just have opened a gap to us and talked to us that way? It would have saved me and Daiyousei a lot of grief."

"The reason for that is part of my agreement with you." Satori says. "While I agree with Ran that this woman is a serious threat to all of Gensokyo, I still have my reservations about trusting the resolution of this to a human. If I am going to let a human to manage this incident, then I want to be certain that he has the physical and mental fortitude needed to do so."

_So it was a test then._

She nods. "Correct. A test."

"So did I pass?" I ask her.

"Not quite yet. " She replies. "Your enemy and this entire incident are still clearly over your head. Until you can show you are making progress in resolving this, I refuse to commit any resources to your cause. But if you truly are what Ran believes you to be, then I will be more than willing to assist you however I can."

_Hm. Alright then._

I turn to Ran. "So, what is this all about?"

Ran nods. "I believe you may be the only one who can help us at this point. I fear this incident with this Nightcaster woman is out of control. I believe that my master and the entirety of Gensokyo are all in grave danger now."

"Hold on." Patchouli says in her same tired tone. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves now. Why don't you explain what you know?"

"You'll have to forgive her." Satori says. "She is quite stressed about the matter right now."

Ran nods slightly, halfway agreeing. "Right…"

She takes a deep breath and begins. "About four weeks ago, my master, Yukari Yakumo, began acting a little strange. She said she was bringing someone to Gensokyo from… far away. She brought this Nightcaster, Charity Carpathia, and started trying to help her settle in. At first, I thought she was an eager, if somewhat childish, magician looking to further her studies, but I soon found her motives were becoming more ambitious and twisted. My master didn't care though. Shortly after, my master began to change."

"Change how?" Remilia asks.

Ran continues to explain. "She began to spend more and more time with her. She became unreasonably attached to helping Charity in whatever she wanted. After the fourth or fifth time visiting the Nightcaster, she became almost completely dedicated to her. Nothing I said could change her mind about it either."

"After examining her memories." Satori interrupts. "I can partially agree that Yukari is under some kind of mind altering influence. I think it may be hypnotism, but until I can examine one of the Nightcaster's victims I cannot be sure of her methods."

_Huh? _"Victims?"

"She has been taking people." Ran explains for me. "She needed help with some kind summoning spell. She captured the shinigami Komachi Onozuka and enslaved her mind the same way she did Yukari. During the ritual they seemed extremely detached from the world. I had no doubt at the time they were under control, and I have since severed all contact with my master and Charity."

I feel like I've heard that name Komachi before, but I can't quite remember. Instead, I ask another question.

"You can just 'disappear' like that? Won't she come looking for you?" I ask.

Ran shakes her head no. "I often spend great lengths of time away from my master. She will not suspect me working against her as long as I don't act to unnaturally. But, I cannot openly defy her either. While I may know all of the borders and gaps my master does not have her eyes on, this palace is the only physical place I can walk in the open. If I try to defy and she finds out about it she will command me to stop, and I will have to obey."

Remilia then asks another question. "You mentioned she has been taking control of other residents. Tell me, did you see my gate guard with her? You know of her right? She disappeared in an attack from the Nightcaster and hasn't been seen since."

Ran shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I don't know anything else about the Nightcaster's capturing people other than that she most likely still is. For what purpose she is doing so, I don't know."

"Now now Remilia." Satori interrupts. "While you may deeply miss your Meiling, our conversation is getting off on a tangent. Ran has one more detail to explain."

Remilia glares back at Satori, but keeps quiet and allows Ran to continue.

"This spell she performed; the one I saw before I left." Ran says in a quiet tone. "It was a summoning spell that brought out some sort of sword from her shadow realm."

"A sword? What kind of sword?" I ask.

"She calls it her Sword of Night." Ran replies "I cannot tell if the sword is a youkai or an actual sword, but I can tell it is immensely powerful. It seems like its power is not completely unlocked, but it is already stronger than any spell or magic artifact I know. The Nightcaster has already achieved more power than any one resident in Gensokyo should be allowed to have."

I take this in.

_A demon sword? This is very, very bad. It sounds like the Nightcaster finally got what she wanted here. If she is already more powerful than anyone in Gensokyo, more powerful than anyone I've met so far, then can… can I really even stop her anymore?_

"You will have to try." Satori says to me.

Ran approaches me. "Joseph, I know this has gotten far worse than you could ever have feared. I know you are confused; far from home in a foreign place against impossible foes. But I must ask your aid. You are a... talented and powerful man, and the only one among us who has any experience against this menace. The sword has made her stronger, but she has not fully unlocked it yet. If anyone stands a chance against her in a fight it is going to be you."

_Right… _I think to myself. _I said I would stop her no matter what. I've messed this world up by allowing her to get this far. I need to keep going through with this until I reach the end. And… if that takes me to my death, then that's what I'll have to do._

"Such determination." Satori says. "But you should not resolve yourself to death. You will undoubtedly reach it should you do so."

I sigh. "Yeah… your right. I know that. I didn't come to Gensokyo to get killed. I'll survive this. I know I will."

"Good." Satori says with a nod. "It's nice to find a human who isn't a total fool. I must admit, you have a bit of my respect."

Patchouli then speaks up again. "I'm sorry to bring you back down again Joseph, but we have our own news."

Remilia stands up and speaks to all of us. "There have been more attacks."

_Oh no…_

"The home of the kappa in the Genbu Marsh has been ransacked, and the Garden of the Sun has been also been attacked." She elaborates.

Patchouli gives a pained cough before speaking again. "The damage to the garden isn't nearly as bad as damage to the marsh, but they were both definitely attacked. That hermit and her underling have gone to try and talk with the kappa and see if they may be willing to join our cause; should return to the mansion by nightfall. We sent Sakuya once to investigate the garden, but have found that its owner, Yuuka Kazami, is mysteriously absent."

_Captures possibly… damn…_

"In addition…" Remilia goes on while Patchouli coughs again. "Gensokyo's renowned Reimu Hakurei has begun doing her own investigations. The attacks are making the human village and many other powerful youkai groups more and more nervous. Most are either working to raise their defenses in anticipation, or are doing their own investigations; fruitless as they are."

I nod. "Good. Hopefully that will keep her on her toes."

"I doubt it…" Ran mutters.

"If only we could gather more people to our side." Remilia says to herself. "There's no way should could possibly fight all of Gensokyo together."

"I think that is unwise." Satori says. "Remember, she is collecting her own following. We do not want a civil war. It would spell the end of Gensokyo."

Ran agrees. "Right. We should only recruit those we need and work in secrecy. We need recapture and sever her hold on those she has, and free my master Yukari from her control. Until we get Yukari away from her, the Nightcaster is truly unstoppable. With the power of borders at her side, the Nightcaster can go anywhere she wants instantly. "

_That does sound bad._

Satori clears her throat and speaks aloud. "So, if I may, I would like to summarize everyone's thoughts. This Nightcaster has come to Gensokyo for power. She has some sort of youkai sword that isn't unlocked yet; it could be assumed that causing chaos somehow furthers unlocking the sword. She is capturing and controlling people by some means, one of which is Yukari Yakumo. Her location is unknown, but her motives are clear. Anyone could be a target at this point. As long as it furthers her power, she will seek them out. Now, we cannot protect all of Gensokyo so we will have to trust its defense to those residents being attacked; many are already taking precautions. Our best course of action is finding a way to draw out and capture back Yukari Yakumo before we hunt down and confront The Nightcaster herself. I believe our best move would be to wait a moment longer and try to anticipate the next few attacks and do our best to try and learn what we can. She is bound to let one of her secrets slip eventually, and we need to be ready to grab it when she does. Once we know precisely what she intends to do and how she is using her captives, we can begin formulating a plan of attack."

Satori looks at each of us. "Agreed?"

"Agreed." I reply.

"Agreed." Says Ran.

"I suppose…" Remilia mumbles.

Satori looks at Remilia. "Come now. You shouldn't be such a control freak. Although me and Ran will be doing most of the managing, Joseph is technically in charge of all this now since he is going to be the one doing most of the work."

Remilia's eyes widen a little bit as the words hit her.

She suddenly jumps up out of her chair and starts shouting. "Absolutely not! I am _not _being a subordinate to a human! I refuse!"

"Ah, but your heart says you hold quite a bit of respect to him. You should not lie to yourself Remilia." Satori calmly replies.

"That is a lie!" She shouts back. "An esteemed vampire like me holds no such feelings towards humans!"

Satori's third eye looks deep into Remilia. "Your heart does not lie though."

Satori continues to stare into Remilia, digging into her thoughts. Remilia's determination slowly begins to fade away.

"Don't hide your own feelings." Satori says to her with a slight smile. "It won't work."

Remilia becomes more and more embarrassed as the situation sinks in. No longer able to bear Satori's all-seeing gaze, she looks away from her. Inadvertently, her eyes land on me.

_Ah… how do I resolve this? _"Um… l-look, Remilia I don't want to insult you or anything. If you don't-"

Remilia turns her back to me and walks off to the corner.

"Just… Just this once, human. Be grateful that an almighty vampire like me is willing to assist you. And I mean _assist._ Not serve, not help, merely _assist_. If I hear you stretch the truth even slightly I will rip you in half. Got it?"

_Ah, so she is ok with it. _"Fine. Glad to have your… assistance."

"In any case, I agree." Patchouli says after that mess.

"So we're all in agreement to find Yukari and try to defend the best we can until we can find the Nightcaster herself. What's our next move?" I ask.

"There was something strange about these two attacks." Patchouli says. "The span in which they occurred was unreasonably fast. It might be possible Yukari is helping her attack, but I cannot help but wonder if it is not something else. I would like to investigate one of the more recent attacks for any magic different from the rest, and since Seiga is already at the marsh, I think I would like to go to the Garden of the Sun to search."

Remilia spins back to her friend. "Patchy? What about your asthma?"

"It won't kill me Remi." She says with a huff.

"What about the communication orbs?" Remilia asks again.

Patchouli sighs. "As I was saying before we were interrupted, there isn't any way to get the ones from Marisa's adventure to the underground to work again. They are simply too old. It's a lost cause Remi. Some outside time won't hurt me."

_Huh. It seems like she's really dedicated to this now._

"She just wants to hurry up and get it done so she can get back to her books." Satori says after reading my mind.

"Patchouli, I won't let you walk away on your own." Remilia firmly states. "At least take Joseph with you. I would really feel a lot better if you weren't alone."

Patchouli sighs. "Fine. If that's what it takes. Joseph, will you come?"

_Well… I really don't see why not. We don't have any more moves to make other than get ready for the next fight. I guess I could follow her for a few minutes. I don't think this should take too long.  
_

I nod. "Sure."

"Very well. Thank you J-I mean, thank you Patchouli; for listening that is. I'll feel a lot better knowing you aren't alone." Remilia says, stumbling mid-sentence. Satori suppresses a chuckle, which Remilia does her best to ignore.

"What was that about communication orbs?" Ran asks.

Satori explains for her. "During that unfortunate incident with my dear pet Okuu, that witch had some kind of orb with her that allowed her to communicate over a long distance to the surface. I believe our dear magician here made them herself."

"I did." Patchouli says." While we were trying to devise a way to create a rapid response system for defending Gensokyo from the Nightcaster's minions we came across the idea, but the orbs I made are no longer working and making new ones takes some time."

"Interesting. I've never heard of such a spell. Too bad it doesn't work anymore." I muse.

Ran ponders a moment. "Hmm… Actually, there may be something I have like that. My master also devised such an item, and they may still work. Having them would definitely make communicating plans much easier and more secretive. I'll definitely search for them when I get the chance."

"In the meantime though." She goes on. "You all should get started on whatever preparations you can. I cannot leave here, but I can still help. My powers are limited to where Yukari's eyes do not see, but I can use my power of the border to create gaps and send you to certain key locations in Gensokyo."

"So you can teleport us across Gensokyo?" I ask.

"Yes. And I can take you back here as well. Satori has agreed to at least allow us to use her place to do that for now." Ran replies.

"Very well." Remilia says. "I would like to return to my mansion for now. I still need to be there for when Seiga and Yoshika arrive to explain things."

Ran nods. "Very well. Give me a moment."

Ran once again turns away and focuses on the borders. Soon, the gap to the library opens once again.

"The library? Oh well…" Remilia sighs as she proceeds through the open gap.

"There are only certain locations, as I said. I will remain here to watch these locations for those allies who need moving. If you wish to return, simply wait here and I will open a gap as soon as I can." Ran explains.

"Very well. Thank you, and goodbye. Take care of yourself old friend." Remilia says with an elegant wave.

"Farewell for now, Remi." Patchouli says.

The gap closes, and Remilia disappears.

Satori gets up. "I should check on those two girls, though I doubt the fairy will be up yet."

_Probably not…_

Still, Satori quietly leaves the room. The air feels much less stressful with her not in mind reading range.

"Finally…" Ran mutters. It seems she agrees.

A few second pass before a gap opens again and floods the study with daylight. I can see a tree leaning halfway against a tall rock. In the far distance I can see the human village. This place is somewhere way off the road to the village.

"This is it. I can't put you right in the middle of the flower field, but this is pretty close. Just remember you have to come back to this tree and rock to get back here." She says.

"Right. Thanks."

Patchouli steps through without a word.

Ran leans over to me slightly and whispers something to me.

"And thank you for keeping your true existence a secret. Gensokyo does not need to know about that. It would only complicate things." She says to me.

I soundlessly nod and step through the gap and into the outside. The gap snaps shut behind me, leaving me and Patchouli in the open fields.

I turn away from the tree to face the fields behind me.

What I see is not a garden.

Towering high into the sky is a cloud of dark smoke. The grass on the hill in front of us slowly shifts to brown, and then black as it nears the site of the former garden.

"What is this? The damage was not nearly this bad according to Sakuya. Was there a second wave of attackers?" Patchouli says.

"I think it's a good thing I came along then." I say as I pull out my crossbow.

"Yes… quite so." Patchouli mumbles as she begins to shuffle towards the ash field. "Come, let's investigate."

I follow behind her. Patchouli moves at a slow pace, occasionally stopping to cough, but she resists my help most of the time and keeps going.

Soon, we are standing in the middle of the field. The air here is still warm from the once burning flames, and there is a thin veil of smoke all around us. I look down as my boot makes a crunch on a shriveled petal. This was once a massive flower field, but is nothing but an ash pile now.

"This ash is everywhere. It must have been a huge garden." I say aloud.

"Yes. The Garden of the Sun is quite the s-gack!" Patchouli chokes up mid-sentence and coughs violently. The smoke is making her breathing problem worse.

I hold her up to prevent her from falling over. "Hey, easy. Are you sure you're ok?"

She pushes herself off me. "Yes. I'm fine. Let us proceed through here and be done quickly. This way; I'm sensing a strong magic power source."

Patchouli continues to shuffle through the remains of the garden in some direction. I've lost all sense of direction in this smoke. The area around me is clear, but the distant scenery where the village was once visible is just a gray blur now.

But soon, I do see another land mark. A shadow rising up out of the smoke. A person. A woman in a red dress.

_Who is that?_

I can see a woman standing among the ash with her head hung low. She has green hair, and is wearing a long, red plaid skirt with a matching vest; both marred with black ash. Her vest is open, showing an equally dirty plain white shirt; one that seems a little tight on her buxom frame.

_Is this… Yuuka, maybe?_

Patchouli confirms my guess. "Yuuka Kazami. What is she doing, I wonder?"

She doesn't seem to be doing anything. Just standing. She does not look up when we approach. I walk in front of her, but she keeps her eyes downcast. I crouch down a little and look up into her face, but still get nothing. Her expression is flat, and her red eyes don't seem to notice me in any way.

_She's completely out of it. It's like she's asleep standing up._

Patchouli finally speaks after a moment of looking around at her. "Hmm… She seems to be incapacitated. I can sense some magic suppressing her. I'm not too sure of it though. I may need a thorough examination to figure her out and possibly snap her out of this state. "

"Well… can we take her with us to examine her back at the palace or something? She doesn't seem to be in any trouble right now, and I don't think she's going to resist." I say.

"Yes. Perhaps we should." She replies.

_Hmm… how do I do this? Maybe do I just pull her along?_

I grab her by the arm and try pulling on her a little to see if she will move. Her arm moves, but her body remains stiff.

"Just pick her up" Patchouli groans. "She isn't going to walk on her own."

_Right…_ I think as I replace my crossbow and take a deep breath.

I lean into her and try to lift her up. She does not resist being picked up, and I scoop her up into my arms. Her weight is a bit much for me, but I grit my teeth and hold onto her.

But as soon as I pick her up, something falls from her hands. I gently place her down and pick up the object. It's a small chrome metal box with a lid that flips open. A wheel switch on the side clicks when I turn it, but does nothing.

_Hmm. I don't get it._

"Is that… a lighter?" Patchouli asks. "I've read about these things once. Something from the outside. Did Yuuka have that?"

_This is a lighter? Rather strange looking for a lighter. I've never seen a small one like this. This switch must be the ignition then._

Using it correctly this time, I quickly flick the wheel again and again until the lighter starts. A tiny flicker of flame projects itself from the box.

The flame dies as I snap the lighter's lid shut, and I examine the lighter. "Huh. Look at that. I wonder what Yuuka was…"

I look down at Yuuka, and find she is looking up at me.

"Joseph… step away…" Patchouli warns.

I try to stand, but Yuuka quickly grabs my shoulder and holds me still. With a pained whisper, she speaks.

"Help… me…"

And then, she attacks.

Her grip on my shoulder suddenly becomes crushingly painful. Yuuka reaches up and grabs my other shoulder and lifts me up. She is unbelievably strong, and she effortlessly throws me over her.

I go sailing away for a few seconds before I crash and tumble to a halt.

_Agh! What the heck was that?_ I angrily think as I pull myself up.

Yuuka is already standing by the time I get back to my feet. Patchouli is hovering and slowly retreating; surrounded by summoned crystal magic and ready to fight. This situation has just gone very bad in an instant.

"I fear the worst has come to pass." Patchouli mutters. "It seems the Nightcaster truly did gain control over her. She possessed her and… and made her destroy the last of her own flowers with a lighter… What kind of sadistic creature would command such a thing? What kind of being has enough power to do this on a whim? How terrible…"

If Patchouli still has any doubts about her commitments to this cause, they are gone now.

"What do you think we should do?" I ask her. "Can we try to fight her?"

She nods. "Yes. I believe incapacitating her through force may weaken the spell and put her back in her previous frozen state, and then we can move her back to the palace and figure out a way to cure her."

I take out my crossbow again. _Alright then. A fight it is._

Yuuka remains standing there; still not attacking. She is muttering to herself like a crazy person.

"Got to… tear. Got to… burn them. Don't want to… but got to. Got to… got to… fight it… but… can't… can't tear them up… I don't want to… but I got to… burn…" She mumbles randomly.

_She's completely delirious. It's like she's half under control and half not._

I try talking to her to see if I can further weaken the control on her.

"Yuuka. You're under a spell. You're doing great but you have to keep fighting it back. I don't want to hurt you but if you can't break free I may have to bring you down. Yuuka, can you hear me? Do you understand?" I say to her.

Suddenly, she aims her hand at me and sends a huge screaming laser towards me. A huge beam of solid magic tears at the ground next to me. I barely manage to escape being annihilated.

"SHUT UP!" Yuuka screams before going back to her muttering. "Can't… can't… I… can't."

"She seems to still be under control, but only partially." Patchouli notes. "I think we stand a good chance to defeat her like this, but you need to be careful Joseph. Yuuka is an extremely powerful youkai. Even when crippled she stands a good chance to kill."

"Noted…" I reply as I catch my breath from that near deathblow.

Yuuka echoes Patchouli's last word. "Kill… Kill… Kill."

_Well, I tried. Sorry Yuuka._

I pull back the crossbow and place a bolt on it. Patchouli gathers a ball of energy from her red crystal and holds it in front of her as she gets ready to cast.

Yuuka continues to mutter to herself. "Kill… Kill… Kill… you."

And then, with that final word Yuuka throws herself, perhaps unwillingly, into combat. A deadly battle with this flower master begins.

* * *

A/N

Alright! 2013 and a new chapter is up. Thank you again for reading my story.

So I want to roll back and pick up on some elements I've placed earlier in the story. The marsh and the kappa, Reimu, and the SDM all get mentioned again; with a bit of focus on the SDM this time. While I won't say that the ESOD characters are my favorite, I still think they are a fun group and have a lot of potential to add to this story. Patchouli is going to be a supporting character in this next chapter or two, and I want to maybe try and expand on her personality a bit. One of my goals in this story is to have a lot of fun touhou personalities to read about. That doesn't exactly mean everyone gets the same amount of depth, as that would become a mess, but I still want to try and get as many fun points as I can in here.

There are also some interesting interactions in here, and stranger ones will come later. As the situation in Gensokyo continues to worsen, people are starting to take things more and more seriously. Joseph isn't exactly the charismatic leader type, but in the face of a dire situation there are plenty who are willing to work together to aid him. I plan to use this as a tool to trigger some fun interactions that you don't usually get to see outside of the games, such as Remilia and Satori (who don't exactly get along).

Thank you again for reading. The next chapter will be ready soon.


	26. Chapter 26

**Flowers are beautiful, but they also have their thorns.**

* * *

Yuuka attacks before either of us can make a move.

With an impossible speed and ferocity, Yuuka comes thundering towards me. Each running step sends a cloud of ash and bits of earth into the air behind her.

_Ah! Move!_

I lower my aim and dive sideways right as Yuuka arrives in front of me. Her fist smashes where I was standing. Her demonic strength sends a terrible shockwave through the ground around me. As she withdraws her hand, she leaves behind a large crack in the still smoking earth.

_Her strength is immense! I better keep my distance. She'll rip me in half._

Yuuka turns to me and looks down on me for a moment. She could easily pummel me down here on the ground, yet she hesitates.

"Kill… k… ill… no… can't. I can't listen… I… I won't! I won't be controlled!"

Yuuka suddenly clenches her head and reels back in agony as she screams against the possessing curse. I take the chance to quickly recover and step away from her.

Patchouli, on the other hand, takes this chance to make her own attack. Unleashing the red energy she's gathered, Patchouli summons and sends out a raging ball of fire. Yuuka spins around and falls to a knee as the blast knocks her clean off balance.

_Now's a good chance to follow up. The only way I can save Yuuka is by bringing her down._

I readjust my crossbow bolt I slipped after the dodge and take aim at her. But right as I fire, she goes back into her killing mode and defends herself in the most incredible fashion.

With a sudden move of her hand, Yuuka reaches up and snatches the whirling crossbow bolt right out of the air. That feat alone would be impossible enough, but Yuuka is only a few steps away from me. Her reaction time was instantaneous.

_How did she do that? There's no way… how is she that fast?_

Yuuka looks up at me with her furious red glare. Slowly, she winds back her arm still holding the bolt…

_Oh… not good…_

I take a step back, but I'm already too late. Yuuka twirls the bolt around in her hand and throws it at me point first. The broad-headed bolt slices right through my chest and sails out my back as Yuuka throws it harder than my crossbow could ever manage.

I gag and stumble backwards in pain. "Agh! Damn it!"

"Joseph, are you well? I warned you she is strong. Keep your distance." Patchouli says from far away.

I struggle to catch my breath as I back away from Yuuka. Yuuka continues to fight against herself as I do so, and she allows me to escape.

"Hmm… Her state seems stable but extremely fragile. Any aggressive action will cause her to go into a frenzy. We will have to manipulate her aggression and turn her recklessness against her." Patchouli notes.

"Right…" I manage to reply. The wound in my chest is quite painful, but it's not about to kill me. I take a few seconds to get used to the pain and put my mind back in the fight.

"Are you ready Joseph? I'm going to try and make a trick move to startle her, and then I want you to try and deal an attack." She says to me.

I nod, and Patchouli gathers magic from the gold crystal beside her.

When she unleashes her magic, she forms a large boulder. A chunk of raw earth and stone. With a wave of her wrist, she sends it sailing towards Yuuka.

Yuuka snaps back into the offensive as soon as she sees. It. She slides back a bit and clenches her fist tight as she prepares to use her strength to smash through the projectile.

But right as she raises back her fist to strike, Patchouli activates her trick. With the snap of her fingers, Patchouli shatters her boulder right in Yuuka's face. Debris and dust blind gag and blind Yuuka.

With my crossbow already reloaded and my enemy stunned, I make an easy hit against her. Her skin resists the sharp blow of my bolt like metal armor, but even so it still sinks cuts into her shoulder.

Yuuka falls to both knees as pain takes her. She slumps forward slightly and makes no further movements.

"It hurts… my head… can't… listen…" She mutters.

"Perfect. Just like that." Patchouli turns to me and says.

But Patchouli fails to notice Yuuka getting back up.

_Oh no! _"Patchouli, she's coming back again!"

Patchouli whirls around to Yuuka to see her charging at her again. In an effort to defend herself, Patchouli raises a pillar of stone to block her charge.

But then, Yuuka vanishes.

_What the?_

"An after image?" Patchouli wonders to herself.

But Yuuka soon reappears. Two of them.

No having doubled, two Yuukas appear on both sides of Patchouli. Both gather energy into their palms to unleash another laser. Patchouli tries to raise a spell to defend herself, but slips into another coughing fit and fails.

Then, the attack.

"MUKYAAAAA!"

Patchouli is completely engulfed by a pair of crossing lasers. When the lasers finish, Patchouli is a broken mess curled up on the ash ground.

"Patchouli! Patchouli, are you ok?" I call over to her.

A weak cough is all I get. She's completely smashed and broken. She's covered in magic burns and ash.

_Damn. It looks like she's down for. How am I going to stop this youkai myself now?_

Yuuka doesn't give me a chance to think though. Still in a combative state, she whirls towards me and comes at me for another attack.

_Gah! She's coming at me again. It looks like she's going for a melee strike._

As Yuuka comes towards me, I step back and swiftly replace my crossbow and draw out my knife.

_Alright then. You want a fight? Come get it!_

Yuuka reaches me, and I meet her in deadly melee combat.

Just as before, she brings her momentum and strength down on me in a crushing assault. But her actions are just barely too slow. Her strike misses me as I side step, and I return a quick slash with my blade.

Her skin doesn't even break though. My quick attack isn't strong enough to hurt her, and I'm left wide open to her counter attack.

Yuuka reaches for me and grabs me by the throat. With little effort, she hoists me up off the ground and begins to strangle me.

_Nngh… come on!_

I fight against her and manage to get a leg on her shoulder to balance me and resist her grip a little better. I then use this brief instant to focus again and send a spell down on her.

I quickly weave the spell together and cast an Ember spell into Yuuka. The blast of fire strikes her right in the face and causes her to lose her grip on me.

As soon as I land back on the ground I tighten the grip on my blade and lunge at her.

_Now it's my turn to attack!_

The possessed Yuuka is just a moment too slow to respond to my attack. I hit her with a stab that successfully deals her a wound this time.

She steps back, but immediately leans back towards me and tries to deal a quick swipe. I duck under her strike and return a hard slash to her that knocks her back off balance. Again, she tries to attack but I dodge and deal her another attack. I don't let her recover a third time, and I lead that slash into another and another; forming a vicious combo attack.

I land one last cut that sends Yuuka staggering back in pain. But before letting her slip away from me, I step back and wind back a kick to knock her down completely. The hard blow from my boot takes the wind out of her and sends her tumbling to the ground.

Impossibly, I managed to beat this mighty youkai in brutal melee.

_There… maybe that will cool you down…_

She isn't done yet though. Unwillingly, yet slowly, Yuuka stands back up.

But she doesn't remain standing for too long though.

"Sun Sign: Royal Flare!"

Patchouli's voice rings out over the ash field. I look to where she once was and find her back up and in fighting stance; five crystals still at her side. Yet I don't notice her so much as I notice the giant orb of light above her.

Hanging over her like a second sun, Patchouli wields an orb of conjured light and fire. Then with a gesture she sends it sailing towards her target.

Yuuka is blown away as pure light and energy explodes all around her. When the blast clears, Yuuka is back on the ground. She resumes cursing at herself as she goes back to trying to resist the spell.

I turn to Patchouli. "You're up. Are you ok? You got hit pretty badly there."

"This isn't the first time I've been hit with a spark attack…" Patchouli manages before coughing violently.

_These Gensokyo girls sure are tough…_

Patchouli turns to face Yuuka, who is still lying down. Yuuka keeps muttering the same things to herself.

"She is still resistant." Patchouli says with a huff.

"Do you still think we can beat her?" I ask.

"I believe so, but my strength is running out. I will not survive another counter attack from her. But, if we combine all our attacks together, then I think we may be able to subdue her with one combined assault. She may be weak enough to defeat that way." She replies.

I'm still a little unsure. "Are you positive you can handle this? I don't want you to get worked up and collapse or something."

Patchouli manages a weak smile; the first I've seen from her. She holds up her hand to show she is holding not one, but a whole deck of spell cards.

"You have yet to witness the wrath of a magician Joseph." Patchouli replies as she flicks through what looks like over twenty cards.

_Wow…_ "Alright then. Hit her as hard as you can. I'll follow up with gunfire. We'll bring her down all at once."

Patchouli nods and turns to Yuuka. Yuuka is finally getting around to getting to standing back up.

Patchouli flicks through her deck of spell cards and draws one out. She holds it in front of her and unleashes it on Yuuka.

"Earth Sign: Trilithon Shake." She recites.

Patchouli's golden crystal shines brightly as she sends a wave of magic into the ground. Immediately after, the ground begins to tremble. The earth around Yuuka suddenly explodes as claws of rock form a crushing cage around her.

She doesn't stand it for too long though. Yuuka slips back under the spell's control and breaks free; erupting with power and scattering the rock.

I meet her as she comes out, Pistol drawn and loaded.

_You aren't getting us this time!_ I think as I pull the trigger.

I pelt Yuuka with my gunfire, and while they cause her little damage, it's enough to buy Patchouli time for her next attack.

"Fire Sign: Agni Shine." She recites next.

The red crystal shines as Patchouli envelopes Yuuka in a roaring blaze. It's an incredible display at the destructive power of magic.

But not even this stops Yuuka. She emerges from the raging fires and comes at Patchouli again. With magic in hand, she prepares to send forth another laser.

"Your attacks won't work on me this time. Water Sign: Jellyfish Princess!"

Patchouli recites yet another card to defend herself. Immediately, there is water all around her. As Yuuka casts a roaring laser onto her, the water hardens and resists the beam. The power of the laser pushes down on the water bubble around her, but it fails to get through. By the time the laser finishes, Patchouli is still unharmed.

Right as the laser ends I finish reloading my pistol. Yuuka is left wide open to my shots. Stepping towards Yuuka, I take aim and drive her back with another burst of bullets. Right as I fire my last shot, Patchouli follows up by using the remaining water from her bubble to send a volley of crushing water orbs.

Yuuka nearly falls as she sways back from our hits, but catches herself at the last second. Her stance is shaky now. Torn between all the stresses of getting attacked by us, the Nightcaster, resisting the spell she is under, and losing her garden, Yuuka seems to be at her mental limit. She looks ready to scream.

Patchouli turns to me once more. "Good work Joseph. Now, I can chain her with the power of my elements and subdue her for good, but you need to hold her for a few seconds while I muster the rest of my power. Quickly now, she's coming back!"

_Got it._

Yuuka forces herself to come at Patchouli once more, shuffling along the ground as she walks towards her. I run in front of her and draw my knife once more.

_I just need to a few seconds this time. I should be able to hold her off for that long._

Yuuka doesn't even flinch as I wind back my arm and swing downward onto her. Just like with my bolt, she reaches up and stops my knife with her hand. She pulls the blade sideways as she tries to break my grip on it. I place both hands on the handle to try and resist, but with nothing more than a flick of her wrist she yanks the blade away from me and casts it aside.

_Gah! How is this woman so much stronger than me? Damn it!_

Once again defenseless before her, Yuuka reaches back her arm and lashes out at me with a punch. I slide to the side to dodge, but only barely manage to avoid it.

_Come on Patchouli, hurry up!_

I can feel the air next to me whirl as she attempts to destroy me with another strike. I can't keep dodging like this forever. Patchouli has to come through with something or Yuuka will certainly end me here.

Thankfully, Patchouli does come through.

"Alright Joseph, get away. I'm bringing all my remaining power down on her now!" Patchouli says.

_Alright finally. _"Alright, I'm setting her on you now."

I slip away from one last brutal swing from Yuuka and cast a spell. Using Cloak, I vanish right in front of Yuuka; leaving her confused. I take advantage of my few precious seconds of invisibility and rush past her to grab my knife before escaping.

Yuuka is left facing Patchouli. Patchouli is burning with concentrated magic; practically glowing.

With a trio of spell cards ready, she casts the first one.

"Fire and Metal Sign: Saint Elmo's Pillar!"

At first nothing seems to happen as the card burns away, but Yuuka is soon caught off guard as a huge pillar of flaming steel crashes down on her and grinds her into the ground. Yuuka manages to lift up on it though and holds it above her with her incredible strength.

"Earth and Metal Sign: Emerald Megalopolis!"

Patchouli's second spell card takes away Yuuka's footing by erecting a giant pillar of glistening emerald rock beneath her. Between the Saint Elmo's pillar crushing her, and the Emerald Megalopolis pushing her up, Yuuka is stuck several feet in the air being crushed in both directions.

And then Patchouli unleashes her third attack to finish off Yuuka.

The glowing crystals suddenly separate from her and move towards Yuuka. Each a different color, the five elemental crystals for a tight ring around the trapped youkai.

Patchouli holds up her third card and puts the last of her energy into it.

"Let this fusion of the elements seal your movements and your troubled mind. Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth Sign: Philosopher's Stone!"

In a final display of her power, Patchouli seems to combine her elemental crystals around Yuuka. The ring of five crystals joins Yuuka under the burning pillar and over the standing emerald; coming closer and closer to her and finally merging with her. There is a flash of light, and the two pillars suddenly seem to crush Yuuka and become a single shining object.

Then, the light fades. The pillars are no longer there. Instead, Yuuka is left floating in the air. She is tied by burning metal chains. She struggles and pulls, but the chains do not give.

_What power… _I think in awe as I look up at the suspended Yuuka.

Patchouli takes a few trembling deep breaths before beckoning to the chains she created. At her command, the chains bring Yuuka down to her and hold her in front of her.

_I think… I think we're done._

I replace my weapons and place a hand over my injured chest before approaching Patchouli.

"Patchouli, what on earth did you do? I've never seen anything like that before." I comment as I observe Yuuka. The chains around her are a metallic substance I've never seen before. Yuuka seems perfectly incapacitated by the restraints.

"The Philosopher's Stone." Patchouli replies. "The power to fuse elements together. By trapping Yuuka between the powers of earth, fire, and metal and using the Philosopher's stone on her, I was able to create a magic metal to restrain her. With the hardness of metal, the strength of earth, and the power of fire, not even she will be able to escape these chains. At least… not like this she will not."

"Can't…. I can't…" Yuuka mutters to herself. She's beginning to settle down again, but is still not herself.

I sigh. It is hard to see a woman like this; feral and berserk. This is truly despicable work on the Nightcaster's part.

"It's sad…" I say to myself. "All of this fighting, and she couldn't even control it."

"No, the sad part is that Yuuka didn't even use her powers to fight us and she was this difficult." Patchouli replies.

_Huh? _"She didn't?"

"No. She wasn't even at full strength either. If she were really to attack us as her normal self, she would have utterly crushed us both."

I look down a bit. _And the Nightcaster still managed to overthrow her. Probably with a trick, but still…_

Patchouli hovers closer to me. I give her a curious look, but she says nothing. She gently pushes my hand aside and places a finger on the hole in my chest. I feel a tingle as Patchouli channels a bit of magic onto my wound. When she finishes, my wound is healed completely.

"Relax, Joseph. I know you are stressed about this, but you did well. I've never seen an ordinary human hold himself so well in combat; especially against such a ferocious foe. I believe Ran may have been right in trusting this resolution to you." She says.

I nod. "Thanks. That means a lot to me."

Patchouli distances herself and searches around. "Now… we should get back to the gap and bring Yuuka back to the others. Satori suspected hypnosis, and I would like to put that to the test now. If she can wake Yuuka, then perhaps she will have some wisdom to share with us. Where is that tree though?"

"There." I say as I point into the distance. The smoke and ash have settled enough to allow me to see the tree and rock we came from. Surprisingly, our fight has moved us quite far back to it. It's only a few minutes away.

"Let us leave this place…" Patchouli says after another episode of coughing.

I nod and lead the way back to the tree. Patchouli follows; levitating Yuuka behind her.

Yuuka remains silent as we take her with us back to the tree we came from. As we approach it, Ran's gap appears again. On the other side, I can see the study in the underground mansion. Ran is there, but no one else.

"Who is that? Is that Yuuka? What happened?" Ran asks us.

"She's possessed by one of the Nightcaster's curses." I reply as I step through. "We need to get Satori in here and have looked at."

"Right. Quickly, through here Miss Patchouli. Just set her on the floor for a moment." Ran says.

Patchouli slowly trails behind me. "Yes… of course… give me… a moment…"

Exhausted beyond her limits, Patchouli comes in, levitates the chained Yuuka down onto the floor, and goes to one of the chairs where she slumps down.

_Remilia said her health wasn't good. This was probably too much for her. Better leave her alone for now._

"Satori, this way. We need you in here. Hurry" I hear Ran say.

I look over to see Ran with a new gap open. One leading back into the Palace. Satori is on the other side just stepping through.

"I'm here." She says. "I see you've found Yuuka Kazami. So you believe she is under a spell?"

_Already reading my mind, are we? _"Yes. She seems completely detached from the world. We had to fight her to bring her in. She seems to be putting up a strong fight, but she can't break free on her own."

Satori slowly nods. "Indeed. Such is the nature of hypnosis magic. Once it controls you, there is no escape. It is only a question of whether you have the will to resist, or you surrender your mind."

"So you think it's hypnosis after all?" Ran asks.

"Quite so. These patterns in her mind could be nothing else. If the Nightcaster has chosen this as her method, then we may have the upper hand. I believe I can dispel this kind of magic." She replies.

I sigh in relief. _Ah, thank you. I finally have some guarantee against my enemy._

"Indeed. I must agree with Miss Knowledge here. Your efforts today were quite heroic. Any ordinary person would consider fighting against Yuuka Kazami to be insane, yet you did so. Not only were you brave enough to face your enemy, you were skilled enough to actually succeed. I'm afraid I've misjudged you Joseph. Perhaps you have more talent than I initially thought."

Satori then turns to Yuuka. "Now, let me begin work on her mind. This will take a few hours. The hypnosis patterns are complex, but not impossible for me."

I agree and let her begin work. Satori bends over Yuuka and places a hand over her forehead. I can hear a soft humming as Satori casts some invisible magic into Yuuka's mind. It doesn't seem like she'll be finished any time soon either.

I turn to Ran. "Where is everyone else?"

"Strangely, they are away. Remilia and Seiga said they have something they were discussing and would be back later. Daiyousei is ill… I do not know why… and Kisume is wandering the mansion." She says.

Ran looks over to Patchouli, who has fallen asleep.

"Well, with everyone either standing by or doing their own preparations, I feel there is little for you to do until Yuuka wakes up from the hypnosis or something else comes up." She continues.

"You should rest." Satori says, breaking away from her work for a moment. "I can hear your exhaustion in your mind and it is quite loud. Rest, and I'll have a meal sent to you later. And don't worry about your friend, Kisume. I will explain things to her and allow her to join us as you promised."

_Alright. Some sleep sounds great actually…_

"Allow me." Ran says as she turns away to focus on the borders again. Soon, she opens a portal to an empty bedroom.

"Thanks." I reply.

I turn away and give a wave to Ran, who gives a small smile back as she closes the gap behind me.

I turn to the bed, and without bothering to move the covers or adjust the lopsided pillows, I throw myself onto the bed and sleep.

It's been to long since I've really rested in a bed like this. The exhaustion is nearly unbearable for me at this point.

I've been in some rough situations since I've got here. I've been going on and on for endless hours. Battle after battle, challenge after challenge, youkai after youkai. I kept going though, and I'll go further if I have to.

By capturing back Yuuka, I've begun the first step in the long process of unraveling this terrible plan my enemy has put into motion. Soon, I will begin to making progress to finally put a stop to her.

But for now, sleep is all I can think of.

I close my eyes, and allow myself to fall into a deep healing sleep.

* * *

A/N

Thank you again for reading my story. It's been a little while, but I'm back writing again.

One comment about Yuuka i've read is that she is more of a 'youkai' kind of youkai who relies on her strength and her powers more than danmaku and showy magic. I tried to keep that in mind while writing her action sequences. But, at the same time, I don't really get to all of Yuuka just yet. Her personality isn't here, and I don't get too deep into her fight scene. I'll have some more fun with her interactions when Satori wakes her up.

I've always been a fan of Patchouli's style. I like the chinese element theme she has. I tried coming up with an intersting idea of combing certain elements with the Philosopher's Stone power to create objects. I thought this would be a bit more fun than just defeating her.

Also, Mukyuu is funny so I used it.

But as I'm going back into college and busying myself with new artistic endeavors, I'm afraid I'll be a bit slower with the updating. But, I have no intention of ending this story until I finish it proper. I'll have another chapter ready soon.


	27. Chapter 27 Hiatus

**Time to face the Night. Is this the end? Or is the Night just beginning?**

* * *

"You've amassed quite a bit of… popularity." I say to Charity.

She tilts her head to the side. "Hm?"

"Much of Gensokyo is looking for you now. And, to be blunt, there are many people who want you dead." I continue.

She just smiles and sighs before turning back to polishing her sword.

"Yukari, you worry too much! It's all good fun. Everyone's just stuck up right now because I always win." She replies.

I hesitate to agree with her. "Perhaps… but must you really go out again so soon? You will inevitably run into trouble at this rate. And it is quite late. You should rest."

"It'll be fine." She says with a bright smile. "Besides, didn't you say no one really goes to the mountain these days? Those tengu could use a good shaking up, and since no one else will do it then why not me?"

_Hmm… Perhaps she does have a point there…_

I nod. "Fine. You know I won't stop you anyways. But please try to at least be a little careful. I don't want you getting hurt out there."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Besides, I do have my own little friends if things get bad." She says as she picks up her blade in one hand and heads for the door.

"Yes, I know. Goodbye for now."

She waves back. "Bye now!"

Charity steps out through the door and vanishes into the border; off to Gensokyo once more.

But as soon as she leaves I am hit with another terrible pain in my head.

_Gh… this migraine… terrible. Just what is wrong with me? Am I really getting to be so frail as this now? Ugh… I can barely think like this…_

I wait for the pain to subside a moment before opening a gap and proceeding home.

_I suppose I have been rather inactive lately. I haven't really picked up a spell card in a few months. Perhaps I should train again. Give my mind and body a stretch. _

After thinking about it for a moment I decide on that.

_Yes. Train. I feel like that is what I should be doing. Definitely. I can practically hear Charity's sweet voice saying 'you should try to work out and toughen up, maybe then you wouldn't feel so tired all the time'._

I chuckle to myself; my voice echoing through the emptiness of the border.

_Hmhmhm… such a sweet girl. I think I'll do just that._

* * *

"Mister? Mister! Time to wake up!"

"She said his name is Joseph. Did you already forget you birdbrain?"

"Unyuu… sorry…"

"Joseph? You need to wake up now. Come on, get up."

"He's not moving. Maybe we should shake him!"

"What? Okuu people don't like being woken up like that. Hey, are you listening birdbrain? Stop that! Stop!"

"Wake-y shake-y! Time to get up mister!"

"His name is Joseph and stop trying to shake him! He's going to get mad at us!"

Between the violent shaking and loud arguing, I am forced out of my sleep. I slowly open my eyes and pull get up off the bed.

"See! It worked!" Says a young girl's voice.

I take a deep breath and reorient myself to the world.

Standing a short distance away from me at the edge of the bed are two young girls, both distinctly youkai. One is a tall and mature girl with a young face and an innocent grin. The other is a short red haired girl with a mature face and a wry smile

The taller of the two is dressed in a white shirt, green skirt, and wears a green bow in her hair. Her great black feathered wings match her coarse black hair. But what makes her so strange is the burning red cats-eye gem nestled over her breasts. It almost seems to be a part of her…

The other girl is dressed in a black dress, and her hair is tied into braids with small ribbons; also black. Defining her as a youkai are two large cat ears atop her head; although she doesn't have a cat tail like Chen did.

_More youkai… _I think to myself. _Do they live here too?_

The winged girl introduces herself. "Hello! My name's Okuu! Nice to-ow!"

The girl next to her jabs her in the side. "He just woke up Okuu, and we don't use nicknames to introduce ourselves. Show respect or Satori's gonna get mad at us!"

"Unyuu…" The girl mumbles in apology.

The other sighs and turns back to a nearby dresser. Sitting on top of it is a small tray with some food on it. The girl picks it up and sets it on the edge of the bed for me.

"Anyways, since my friend here already started the introductions, I may as well go ahead and introduce myself as well. I'm Rin, and this is Utsuho. We are Satori's pets."

_Huh? _"You two look more like people then pets."

"Well, we have our humanoid forms, but we really are just youkai animals." Rin replies. "Satori took us in when we were young and gave us a home. In return, we help her manage hell's furnace below."

"Sounds like a tough deal to me. Having to work in hell." I say before turning my focus to eating the meal set next to me.

"No way." Utsuho replies with a grin. "We work hard for Satori's sake. She's so nice, and we love her very much!"

I smile a little. "I see. Well I'm glad you think so. I'm sure she could use a few friends down here."

Utsuho nods. "Yep!"

"Speaking of work." Rin interrupts. "We got called off by Satori a little while ago. She wanted us to wake you up and come back to the study. I don't know what's going on, but it's pretty important if she called Utsuho out from the furnace."

_The study? She wants them to help with the fight now. What does she have planned with them? Can these two really help?_

Rin and Utsuho head for the door.

"Anyways, you'd better hurry." Rin says as she steps out. "There are a bunch of people in the study, and everyone's waiting on you I think."

I nod. "Tell them I'm on my way."

"Ok. Hurry though." She replies.

"Yeah!" Utsuho chimes in. "If you're late, we'll start the party without you!"

Rin sighs again. "Okuu, it's not a party."

"It isn't?"

"No. Now come on, let the man have his peace." Rin says as she pulls her friend out the room.

The two girls close the door behind them and leave me alone.

_Everyone's waiting… heh… I never thought I would be the one to have a team behind my back._ I think to myself as I quickly try to eat the rest of my food.

I don't recognize half the things on my plate, but I'm so hungry I don't even care. I soon finish my meal and set the tray back on the dresser.

_Alright. Let's get back… although it would be easier if Ran would just open a gap back…_

My thoughts go unheard though, and I am left to walk back to the study room. It takes me a few minutes to get a sense of direction in this place, but I soon find my way back to the entrance, up the stairs, and back to the study room.

As I step in, I find this room to be extremely crowded and loud.

Remilia, Patchouli, and Sakuya are all sitting together chatting quietly about the mansion's repairs. Daiyousei and Kisume are standing next to each other; both of them wave as they see me. Satori is standing in front of a kneeling Utsuho and Rin and is scolding them both; apparently they were supposed to wait for me so I didn't get lost.

I also see some faces I haven't seen in a while. Seiga and Yoshika are by a bookshelf off to the side. With them are two other individuals. Two people I didn't think I'd see again. A girl in blue and a short tomboyish engineer.

_Huh? _"Nitori? What are you doing here? And Rika too? I hope you two weren't forced to come here."

Nitori speaks quietly, still a little uncomfortable around so many people. "The other kappa refused to do anything about this. I want to promote peace between youkai and humans, but if this person is threatening that something has to be done. The other kappa want to turtle up and hide from this, but I refuse to do that. I've heard your story from the others Joseph. I'm sorry I couldn't help you before, but maybe now I can use my technology to make a real difference in the world."

Rika speaks next. "I can't be Gensokyo's greatest engineer if there's no Gensokyo. So, when Seiga popped in and gave me a chance to do something about this Nightcaster mess I jumped right on. I didn't think I'd see you in the center of all this though."

_Nor did I… _"Thanks for coming though. I'm sure I your weapons will be of use. And I hate to ask this of you Nitori, but we may need your weapons too; even though you don't want to use your technology for that."

"Don't worry, I'll help." She replies.

I then turn to Seiga. "Thanks for getting the extra help."

The hermit manages a small smile before giving one of her spiteful remarks. "Gensokyo is threatening to collapse into utter madness and you still find the time to sleep this late. What a fool. But… you're welcome."

_Same as always… Still nice to see you again._

"Are we all here now?" Remilia asks. "I would like to get this started soon."

"Not yet." Ran replies from the corner she is standing in. "Yuuka is still on her way. She should arrive in a few seconds."

_Yuuka? Oh yeah. I almost didn't notice her. Where is she? Satori?_

Satori hears my thoughts and turns away from her pets long enough to reply.

"She requested leave after awakening. She is going to gather a few of her own reinforcements to increase our strength just a little more."

_Although we already have some of Gensokyo's finest on our side. I wonder if we may be a little overkill here._

Satori shakes her head. "I don't think you understand how bad some of these attacks are Joseph. The attacks on the Genbu Marsh and the Garden of the Sun were of unprecedented destruction. This Nightcaster is worse than anything any of us have seen. Worse than anything you have seen. You will need all of our help with this."

I nod. "I see. Thanks."

"Ah. She's here." Ran says. The room quiets at her statement as if it was a warning.

A dark gap opens to the surface. Yuuka comes in through it, followed by two people I don't recognize.

Yuuka is clean and composed in her same plaid outfit. She is quite beautiful, and has both a seductive and threatening air about her. She truly feels like one of Gensokyo's mightiest. When she stops in the middle of the room and turns to me I feel a slight shiver.

"So, Satori wasn't joking when she said a human was at the center of all of this. I was truly hoping I wouldn't see one of your kind involved…" She says in a low smoky tone.

"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that we work together to get this done." I calmly reply.

She crosses her arms and glares at me; her eyes delivering a piercing red gaze. "You're awfully confident to assume I've come to help. What if I just came here to kill you? You struck me while I was down and helpless. That's not something I'm willing to forgive. And after losing my garden, I'm quite sure I have it in me to do some killing right about now…"

"Don't try to act intimidating Yuuka." Satori replies. "Joseph is a veteran, not the kind to bow to threats. And I can tell in your heart that you didn't come here for harm."

Yuuka whirls to the small psychic. "Oh? And what does my heart say about what I want to do to you and your smart mouth now? Hm?"

Satori listens for a minute.

She then shrugs. "I've heard worse."

Yuuka almost staggers at being disregarded.

"Really Miss Kazami." Remilia adds in. "You come in here trying to throw your weight around, but let us not forget that not too long ago you were a broken mess."

And besides…" Seiga adds in next. "You would have to be some sort of coward to claim to be so powerful and then bring others to help you. Truly, you are a fool."

Yuuka growls in anger. "You people…"

But then, Daiyousei flies up from her seat and hovers over the room.

"Everyone! Stop it!" She commands. Surprisingly, her soft voice carries well through the room and everyone stops.

She goes on with a small speech. "I know we all have our differences in here, but we have to work together now. There's a really bad person out there who's hurting Gensokyo, our home, and we have to do something about it. If we don't stop fighting and shape up we're going to lose everything that matters to us! So please, don't fight…"

Patchouli nods. "She speaks reason."

Everyone else agrees. Yuuka reluctantly nodding in the end.

"Very well." Yuuka mumbles. "I agree, but only this once. Only because I've been humiliated beyond belief. Only because I want revenge."

She then turns to me. "Human… don't get cocky just because I've agreed to this alliance of yours. And don't think you're getting away with attacking me either. When this is over, it's nothing but punishment for you. Long. Painful. Punishment."

"Yes yes, enough with the idle threats." Satori interrupts. "How about you introduce those two you've brought so we can continue?"

Yuuka glares at her, but after a few seconds she gives up with a sigh. "Yes… Well, seeing as everyone else is reaching into their resource pools for this incident, I thought I may bring out some of my old allies as well. I hope you don't mind a little more to this mess of people in here."

Yuuka gestures to the two girls next to her, and they begin introducing themselves.

One is a neatly dressed blonde girl wearing a white dress shirt and black skirt along with a fluffy white hairband. She speaks in a sweet, but refined voice. Distinguishing violet leather wings and a chilling air about her tell me she is a vampire like Remilia.

"Greetings everyone. My name is Kurumi. I'm the vampire who watches over the Lake of Blood, and technically under Yuuka's employ. I'm still fully committed to her cause and will help you all however I can."

Remilia seems to scowl at her, apparently not fond of another vampire in the group, but she says nothing and allows the second individual to speak next.

The other girl holds a massive scythe with a nearly impossible bend in it. She is dressed in a brown formal dress, and her short curly hair is covered by a white wide-brimmed hat.

"Name's Elly." She casually says. "The Reaper of Mugenkan. It's been a little while since I've really been out fighting, but if all of us are here then this should be easy. I'm happy to join up with you guys."

"And I'm Koishi! Nice to meet you all!" Comes a mysterious third voice.

_Hm?_

Yuuka and everyone else looks to the young girl next to her. She is dressed in an off yellow shirt and has a green shirt. Her strange light green hair is topped with a black wide-brimmed hat designed like Elly's. I notice immediately she has a third eye like satori, but hers is blue and closed tightly shut.

She had not yet noticed her, nor had I, nor had anyone else. No one has any idea where she came from.

"What? I didn't bring you here. Who are you?" Yuuka says to her.

"Huh? I can't introduce myself then?" The girl asks.

Satori sighs. "Ah, I forgot. This is my younger sister, Koishi. She will be joining us in this affair, although her role will be secondary."

"Huh? Why?" Koishi pouts. Her attitude is rather childish and silly.

"I don't want you getting hurt." Satori replies. "You can help if we really need you, but you will stand back. And don't think your subconscious manipulation will influence me on this either. I will not bend on this matter."

Koishi looks down. "Oh… ok…"

Utsuho skips over to her and puts an arm around her. "Don't worry. I'll stay with you and-"

"No, you're not." Satori interrupts.

Utsuho gives a surprised look. "Huh? But what about the-"

"I will manage the furnace along with Rika and Nitori for the time being as we work behind the scenes. For now, you and Orin are being assigned new jobs. The resolution of this incident is now your priority."

Rin is also shocked. "A new job? So this isn't chores anymore?"

"No." Satori responds. "This incident is your job now. Mistakes will be met with reprimands, so show respect and take this seriously."

"Aww…" Utsuho whines.

"I said take this seriously." Satori repeats in a harsher voice.

Utsuho immediately snaps to attention. "Y-yes!"

After that, I take a second to look around the room and count everyone in the crowded and busy room.

_Seiga. Yoshika. Remilia. Patchouli. Sakuya. Rika. Nitori. Daiyousei. Kisume. Ran. Satori. Yuuka. Elly. Kurumi. Utsuho. Rin. Koishi._ I count. Seventeen people.

_This is a small army._ I think in awe.

I raise my voice to speak to everyone. "Thank you. All of you. I never thought I would be able to receive so much help here in this world."

"Don't thank us yet." Seiga say right next to me. "We still have to win this first."

Satori nods. "Indeed. We all have a brutal battle ahead. I hope you all came prepared."

_Huh? _"What's going on? Did something happen?"

Nitori speaks in reply. "I have a friend. A goddess who guards the bottom of Youkai Mountain. She said she saw a strange and scary person heading up. It sounded like her when I spoke with her about it."

_The Nightcaster. She's still on the offensive. Damn…_

"Has the attack happened yet?" I quickly ask.

"Not yet. It could be any second though." Nitori replies.

"There was no noise on my way here." Yuuka adds. "We have time."

"But not enough to waste." Sakuya replies.

"We need a plan." Remilia states. "Joseph? You know the Nightcaster's strategies. This is where you come in."

"Why?" Yuuka huffs. "Not to be overly boastful, but between me, the vampire kid, and the bird, we have three of Gensokyo's greatest superpowers with us. Why plan when we can just go there and destroy her?"

I shake my head. "No. No. The Nightcaster is smarter than that. If she is intimidated then she will run without a second thought. We can't let her do that."

"Let us not forget Yukari is on her side too." Ran adds. "She is _the _superpower of Gensokyo."

"Then what is it?" Yuuka angrily demands. "You'd better plan fast human! My patience is _very _thin!"

I think hard. _Alright… hmm… we have a lot of people…_

"We need to contain her and her minions." I slowly begin; talking faster as I formulate a real battle plan. "A ring to hold her and her army. No, two rings. One to hold her and one to close in for an attack. Corner her. Make her nervous. She acts superior all the time, but I know if the odds are skewed against her she'll lose her cool fast."

Satori nods as she read the rest off my mind. "I see. Have one ring of people focus on defense and slowly close in and another ring to go in quickly to focus on attacking her minions. Simple enough."

"There are several places around Youkai Mountain I can send you all, so this works." Ran says after her.

"Right. So we need to organize by speed and ability." I go on. "Koishi, Rika, Ran, Satori, and Nitori aren't going, right? So with me that's Thirteen-"

"Twelve." Seiga interrupts. "Yoshika does not leave my side."

"Yeah! With Seiga!" Yoshika cheers loudly.

_Twelve then… _"Perfect. Two groups of six to surround the mountain on all sides and close in."

Satori takes the next step for me. "I think, according to what I've read of everyone's experiences, I think Rin, Daiyousei, Seiga, Remilia, Sakuya, and Joseph will be the attack group to go first. Utsuho, Yuuka, Elly, Kurumi, Kisume, and Patchouli will be defenders on the outside. Any objections?"

Everyone is quiet for a second before Kisume suddenly speaks up.

"Hey, hold on a minute. Why am I a defender and the zombie is an attacker? I'm faster! I am! Swap me with her!" She complains.

Satori looks to Seiga, who merely shrugs.

"Very well. Kisume will go first and Seiga second. Anyone else?" Satori asks.

No one replies.

Satori then looks to me. "Joseph, this plan means you will arrive alone at Youkai Mountain, and it is the middle of the night. I cannot guarantee that there won't be interlopers who will try to attack you on the way up. Are you fine with this?"

I nod. "We don't have time to come up with anything else."

"Very well." Satori says. "Those assigned to attack go straight up the mountain and search for the Nightcaster as quickly as they can. Those who defend are to advance slowly; taking time to scan for threats and let nothing past. Agreed?"

Everyone agrees in unison.

I suppress a laugh. _A Slayer with an army of youkai. Haha. This is crazy alright. But crazy is what I need now. This will work. I will end this quarrel this time. You aren't escaping me Nightcaster!_

Confident and ready, I turn to Ran. "Alright. Let's open some gaps and get to the mountain. No time to waste."

Ran silently nods and turns to the back wall behind her.

"Remember everyone, return to your entry spot when you finish so I can bring you back." Ran says as she opens the first gap.

Everyone hustles around her in a big crowd. Ran opens one gap after another, and one by one we file through to begin the attack.

"We're really doing this? All these people after one person?" Elly says as she hoists her scythe over her shoulders and enters the first gap. "This is gonna be fun!"

"Don't get carried away. You're defending." Patchouli says as she steps through a gap opened for her.

"Ah, defending will be so boring." Seiga says as her gap opens up. "But, some quiet time on the mountain would be nice too."

"Be careful Milady." Sakuya quietly says as she leaves.

Remilia's gap opens next. "You too Sakuya."

"Hmph. Defending…" Yuuka says with disgust as she steps through her gap.

_I wonder what her problem is._

Kurumi turns to me and replies almost as if she heard my thoughts. "Yuuka hates humans very much. A human priestess tried to exterminate her when she was young and she never got over it. But she admires strong people too. Don't show any weaknesses around her Joseph. She'll grow to like you over time."

"Thanks." I say to her as she steps through a gap.

"Woohoo! Over world here I come!" Kisume squeals as she rockets through a gap on her bucket.

"Take care mister!" Utsuho cheers as she exits.

Rin merely sighs at her friend's forgetfulness and leaves without a word.

"Good luck." Daiyousei says as she brushes past me.

I nod. "Thanks."

My exit comes up last, but before I can step through Ran stops me.

"Wait a moment. There is one last thing. I didn't feel like the others would need to know this part. I can't trust that they would keep my involvement a secret as well as you have." She says.

She opens a small gap next to her and reaches into it. When she pulls her hand out, she has a pair of colored orbs.

"These yin-yang orbs are connected to each other. It will allow us to communicate, as well as allow me to hear what you hear. You can use it to speak to me wherever; just speak to it."

I don't know what a yin-yang is, but these orb's use is simple enough. I gladly take them.

"Thanks. I'll talk to you if I need to." I say.

Ran then takes a step back and gestures to the gap. "Go now, and stay safe."

"I will. Thank you again."

I step forward. The warmth of the study vanishes behind me as I enter the gap.

Surrounding me now are many tall dark leaved trees. The faint light from a half full moon provides my only way to see through this dense thicket.

I shiver from a gust of wind. It is a cold night tonight.

But I soon feel a different kind of chill. A chill from my warning senses.

As I look up at the giant mountain through the trees, I see what I feared I would find. The light of fire and lighting. From the mountain I hear the sounds of loud fighting, roaring monsters, and terrible magic. The Nightcaster is there, and she's attacking.

_No! She's already here!_

I rush forward through the trees and head towards the mountain.

I've never been to this mountain, but I'm not afraid of what I will find here. I know only one thing now.

My allies are at my side, and my enemy is right in front of me. After all this time here in Gensokyo, all these preparations, all this strangeness, it is time to confront my enemy.

It is finally time for me to face the Night.

* * *

A/N

Two weeks too long, but I'm here with another chapter! Thank you again for coming back to my story.

So I get to a part I've really been wanting to get to. All of my characters gathering up for a big plan. I feel like this really tested my ability to manage all these personalities, but at the same time it allowed for a few fun lines between strange pairs of characters. Naturally, I think most people in Gensokyo would butt heads with each other when forced to work together, but this situation eventually gets resolved as everyone eventually gets on the same track. They'll be more individual interactions as the story flows around this group now.

I also add a few characters here. Again, I tried hard to keep everyone's focus time in this chapter balanced and applied details where I thought they were needed. For Utsuho, I went with the silly forgetful type character with Rin being her comedic 'straight man' for the most part. Yuuka is an aggressive elitist, although she doesn't get very far with her arrogance thanks to people like Satori and Seiga who are hard to impress. I don't touch too much on the 98 characters Elly and Kurumi just yet, but we will see a bit more of them over time. Overall, this chapter is a bit messy and chaotic, but I think everything still worked out pretty well.

Edit:

Temporary Hiatus

I'm sorry, really I am; but I have to stop this for now. Maybe not forever, but for a while.

There are several things leading up to my decision to discontinue my story for now.

1) My time, the one things that I feel like really allowed me to stick with this story as long as I have, is slipping away from me these days. I'm simply too busy to regularly update this like I have been. I feel like I'm letting my readers down by making promises of speedy updates, and then failing to do so. I can't keep forcing myself to write like this anymore. I have too much to do.

2) My interests have changed a little. I've grown to like writing and storytelling elements a lot more than I originally thought I ever would. I never thought I would really be able to get into this writing business when I started last year, but I think I've really fallen in love writing. I want to do more than just fanfiction. I've become more interested in creating original stories now. It's not that I don't like touhou any more, but my desire to write about touhou is burning out. I've lost the fire for this story, and I'm afraid that it's already starting to show in my last few chapters.

3) I think my story has decayed quite a bit in quality. The things I'm doing now are vastly, vastly different from what I started out trying to do. I think that's just a natural thing with Touhou. All the interesting characters, places, and interpretations are just too much sometimes, and it's really easy to get lost in it all. I won't say I hate my story, because I think I've written one hell of a story so far, but I'm dissapointed in it because I know I can do better than this. I feel like continuing with this story would just be putting the characters and plot to waste just because of how much I messed things up.

I hate myself for doing this to you all. After getting so many positive reviews and favorites, I have to turn around and let you all down, but I'm sorry I can't keep going on.

I won't say this is the end for my writing here though. Maybe when I find it in me to carry on with this I'll pick it up and see Joseph through his journey, but for now I need to get out of Gensokyo and go on to other things. I have other strange places in my imagination to visit and write about.

So, dear readers, thank you all so much for your time, and farewell for now. Thank you all again for reading with me as much as you have.


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